Nose - Caramel, vanilla, and oak spices. Taste - Butterscotch candy, some oak, fruit, and sweet vanilla. Finish - Medium length, well-balanced flavor and spice. Cost is factor in how I rate my whiskey tastes. I am fortunate enough to have this readily available at $22, which is a bargain, because it tastes more expensive than it is. It is so well-balanced that it could be a gateway drink for anyone to experience bourbon without the kick in the teeth. On the nose, it smells like a standard bourbon. There are the normal bourbon notes of vanilla, caramel, and oak, but there is something else that is more alluring that makes you want to breathe it in deeply. It smells so good that I would love to have a cologne made from it, but that might raise a few questions at work. On the palate, the same smells follow into the taste. The sweetness is still there, but it is combined with fruit, oak and rye spice in a balanced concoction. There is a little bit of everything to please a wide audience.