The nose is quite herbal with some licorice showing up (not overwhelming though) and clear grassy notes. There's some herbal spice scent and definitely some barrel. The faintest hint of red fruit makes it into the nose, but it's trivially minor. It reminds some of Whistlepig 20 more than I would really care for on the nose. The palate has some spice for sure, but it is less aggressive than expected. The ABV makes its way through, but it doesn't dominate. Some rich chocolate and toffee notes are maintained though they take a moment to come out. Those rum barrels add a nice complexity. There are nice variations on sweet and rich going on here that blend together in a pretty balanced fashion. It's a bit more on the fun side than more bourbons because of the rum, but the balance is quite good and it is strong. This has a unique bourbon-rum balance that I quite like. The overall flavor is on the young side, but not in an upsetting way - more like how Booker's tastes when sufficent water is added. Vanilla and brown sugar make their way in but they balance with the wood nicely. Some spiced notes come through that balance out nicely, but they don't taste excessively like rum. This might be a little lighter than I'd normally like, but it is interesting and complex, reminding me of Corsair Grainiac and Wild Turkey Jewbillee (though tasting completely different). I do wish that the wood came off as a bit older, but the flavors are quite nice. This edges out regular Elijah Craig, but is it really worth the price difference? Well, it's quite interesting and tasty. The wheat and the rye do make their way out here, making it taste substantially younger than it is.