The nose has a strong hit of isopropyl alcohol. It tastes a little bit like somebody left a cigar and some lemon heads in a bit barrel of vodka. The sweetness is appreciated and the spiciness combined with the tartness does kind of suggest that it's rye, but this mostly tastes like a alcohol. It could be considered to be a good vodka, but it's a bit peaty. This is just way too mildly flavored and is too high of a proof. I wouldn't drink this unless I were looking for a more interesting substitute for vodka. The bitter undertone is unwelcome. This is a truly unique failure condition for a rye. There's definitely something a little herbal going on here, but it is hard to make out any distinct flavors over the proof. Adding some distilled water brings out some mineral flavors, but that just makes this worse. The smoke becomes more clear, which is reassuring, but not delightful. Surprisingly, it is harsher with distilled water added. There isn't really more complexity with water. This is pretty bad stuff. Maybe it would make good rocket fuel.