Neat. Open for over a year. Store pick. Been a long time since I tried this Rye. I can’t remember if I liked this or not even. Found the bottle hidden in the back of the shelf, so why not explore it before I bury it again. Nose is light for cask strength, barely any alcohol burn even. Jim Beam nuttiness is there in the background, which is fun on. Rye. Lots of lightly toasted caramel and charred marshmallow, especially a lot of sweetness with a hint char. The rye is mostly just a background note. No dill or black licorice. A nice peach, maybe even lemon with the acidity. It’s lightening up over time and vanilla is emerging. Really really pleasant and inviting rye. I think this is barely legal rye and I could see it getting confused for a bourbon. Texture is super oily, it costs so well. Brown sugar and cinnamon initially, hint of that lemon even. Much darker than I was expecting. Charred caramel, undertones of nuttiness. Legs are initially a blast of rye spice but really lighten up into vanilla and lemon. Maybe even orange. The longer I sit with it, I am getting a tannic aftertaste and dry mouth. Some excellent flavor on this. No idea why it got buried. I’d put this right next to a Pikesville. The base profile is more bourbon than rye, but the rye brings out these great sweet, citrus fruit notes you would never associate with a Knob Creek product. Only knock is that lemon, acidity can come across as too harsh. The tannic aftertaste takes away from the experience as well. I can still see this in my Top 10 ryes under $75. I’ll grab another store pick when this one is done.