Nose: Fresh cut grass, honey, barley, bananas. Black pepper. Red bell pepper. Basil, thyme, rosemary, dill. Alcohol helps give this some life. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries. Vanilla and oak in the background - no doubt due to the combo of age and ex-bourbon cask. Lactic, cream - think yogurt more than sour cream. Bright and floral. Green apples. Palate: Cream cheese frosting - that lactic tang character combined with white sugar. Moderate amount of complexity. Peaches, apricots, strawberries, bananas, green apples, along with that herbaceous grass/thyme/basil thing. Floral. Some tannic character, both in texture and in taste. The proof on this is absolutely apparent and dances across your tongue, putting on an explosive show. As you acclimate and things open up, the floral character and bitterness move towards the finish and the pleasant, sweet, fruity notes punch through more, though with much more sweetness - almost fruit punch territory. Mouthfeel is medium heavy with a good oil content. Finish starts with a burst of white and black pepper, oak, barrel char, tannin, basil, and thyme. As things progress, the prickly alcohol shows up and toasted black peppercorns shows up, along with dill, clove, cardamom, and that slightly sour lactic tang. The mid palate then fades away, while the lower palate begins to, but the oils here are helping things stick around. Not much evolution, though eventually things move to freshly baked bread with just a hint of sourdough starter, dipped in a combo of olive oil just as it starts to go bad and medium-range balsamic vinegar. As things move further, a slightly metallic, almost garlic character joins. The base palate drops off and you have roses, barrel, fennel, and a bitter, metallic tinge. Long finish. Other notes: I used to say that, in general, higher proof whiskies tend to be overall better, objectively. In experiencing this, however, I need to change that sentiment to reflect that, in general, higher proof whiskeys tend to be more interesting, objectively. Don't get me wrong - this is a perfectly acceptable bottle. There's enough going on here, and enough proof, to grab my attention and hold it. And the flavors on display really are quite good. If you read the label, then close your eyes and imagine what this probably tastes like, you're probably spot on. The higher proof delivers exactly what you'd think. I won't likely keep this is stock in my home bar, but I'm not mad I bought it. As an aside - you'll notice I try to avoid talking about price, and I don't factor that in when considering my review and rating. I'm doing my best to disconnect the idea of price from the quality of the spirit. I will make mention in cases where I find something to be of exceptional value (Finlaggan Old Reserve, I'm looking at you). This was incredibly inexpensive for me, considering what it is, but not an exceptional enough value:quality ratio that I find a compelling argument for or against this other than "It's worth a buy".