It tastes surprisingly like sawdust without being super rich. The flavor is very dry. There's a substantial amount of smoke. Some spices like cinnamon, ginger, and clove are present with a bit of turmeric. There's a lot of spice here. The tartness is strong. There's a bit of vanilla from the barrel, but it isn't overwhelming. There's some sort of apple cider fruitiness, but it is quite mild. It's less balanced but more eccentric than Bulleit. It's fine, but just barely a sipper. The richness gradually stands out with the deep barrel flavor being nice and more sippable in the longer term than the Bulleit is. The flip side though is that there isn't a ton of complexity. This is very clearly a rye and would be an excellent mixer. Alcohol flavor does not pose a problem here.