The nose reveals that this is not a sweet bourbon. This is an interesting mix between a rye and a bourbon that comes with some notable but not overpowering tobacco notes. It reminds me of Maker's 46 mixed with Pendleton 1910, but with more depth so that the individual flavors can be picked up on. For a bourbon, it is surprisingly bitter, though it is important to keep the ABV in mind. Vanilla, wood, rye, and some floor polish are the first flavors to show up. While the finish maintains the floor polish, fortunately it lets a bit of sweetness in. I wish that the flavor developed more and were less oily, but it is fairly deep, which I appreciate. Jim Beam Black is smoother and sweeter, but also has a weird, unappealing undertone. Tart, bitter flavors hit first, bringing a heavy wood presence. There is some oil there and a hit of something rancid flits through. Sweetness is minimal. There is not much fruit in here, though there is a little vanilla and some red fruit shows up with the toffee, so it does not have the bourbon character that I enjoy. That said, the finish is mostly clean, which bumps it up a couple if points. This has more depth and balance than the Jack Daniel's Single Barrel does, but I still do not love it. I appreciate its technical feats, but it is not for me and I must acknowledge it's failings as well. You can immediately taste the corn in this one and if you drink it for long enough, toffee eventually comes through near the beginning before giving way to rye and cinnamon. Again, points for technical success. It isn't for me though. The combination of spice, salt, and tartness makes this aggressive but deep. Corn, rye, orange, and mild apple can be detected. But OMG so much cinnamon! The depth is admirable, but you have to fight to experience it. If you drink this for long enough, the subtlety starts to come through and it is quite good. Unfortunately, "long enough" is a long time. The beginning eventually divulges chocolate notes and the depth comes out, though the spicy cinnamon is still a bit much. Deep and delicious once you get into it, but kind of miserable up until then. This bitter rye flavor is a bit much, but this is an all-around balanced bourbon. Nice work. The flavor is full with lots of vanilla and a spicy kick. Nutty with a slightly rancid taste from the rye, but it's good once the flavors can be separated out. This is quite comparable to the Single Barrel. It's rich and robust with some complexity. There's less cherry and more toffee here and I kind of like that better. This is sweet but still spicy and rounded. For the money, there is no question that this is better than the single barrel. There is some mild rye, but there is also some milk chocolate with some interesting malt. The spices include cinnamon and are well moderated. The vanilla is there and plentiful without bringing in an overwhelming floral or mineral flavor. The backing is rich and enjoyable. This tends toward the sweet side, but it is still well in balance. The flavor on the finish is great. This whiskey has no off notes. For a daily sipper, this is a great choice with a very reasonable price tag. It's really a toss-up between this and the Single Barrel, so you might as well go with this. This is one of those kind of cinnamony drinks, but it isn't so spicy as to be a big problem. There are some.nice bits of plum and dark cherry in the palate too. This is really quite good and I'd happily sip it any day. It isn't a drink for novices though. Some cereal jumps out at points. The complexity gradually shows its face. Occasionally, a little alcohol bares its ugly head, but it is so minimal that it isn't worth considering. This is delightful to sip and very modestly priced. Why wait the extra 7.5 years for the single barrel? The nose has a woody boldness with rye, nuts, butterscotch, and a bit of fruit. It smells like a rich, quintassential bourbon with a fair amount of depth to it and some nice richness and balance. The nose is immediately very appealing. The palate is unfortunately not as rich, but it is quite nice with sweetness of toffee mixed with sweet cherries, nuttiness that isn't too bitter and oily. This isn't everything that I want in a bourbon, but for the price this is a really good choice. It's comparable to Eagle Rare in quality and value for the money, but it is richer, woodier, and smokier. Unsurprisingly, there are some mineral rye notes, but they fit right in with the big smoke and rich oils. The flavor is reminiscent of Stagg Jr, but less expensive and not as high proof. There might even be a little bit more complexity in here. That toffee flavor really works out well in here and everything is in a really nice balance. For the money, this is a terrific choice. Even at higher price, this is excellent. Bourbon should be like this. Another tasting (at least) is necessary before settling on this statement, but this seems like the Springbank 10 of bourbon. It isn't as interestingly unique as St. George B&E Bourbon, but it is better in its balance an execution as a bourbon. While not the best bourbon of all time, this is an exemplar of rich bourbon. It also beats Willet Pot Still in all dimensions except for being interesting. This is really good.