Now, this is what an almost perfect amount of heat in a bourbon feels (and tastes) like. It should light up the back of the teeth without burning the throat; it should create just an edge of novocaine in the cheeks (just the cheeks, not the tongue or the roof of the mouth) without actually numbing. Taste? Oily, a little plum, a little honey, a little raisin, a bit of tobacco, a bit more rum. A very fine experience, for the shelf just below the top.