The alcohol is very strong, but the alcohol flavor is not overwhelming. There is a nice, mild fruity layer here with a sweetness that stays decently, even when the bits of bitter rye come in on the finish. A sense of strong alcohol is the main character here, but that doesn't make it bad. In that regard, it reminds me Knob Creek Single Barrel. The flavor is mostly good, but I wish it had some more complexity. The flavor is quite good though, with some creamy chocolate coming through at points and a definite vanilla backing. There seems to be some smoke here, but it just provides a rich undertone rather than punching you in the face. It is consistently enjoyable, but just isn't complex enough. It gets a passing mark for tasting so good generally and having great balance among it's flavors, but the alcohol is just too strong relative to everything else. The faintly creamy, sweet backing is what really makes this enjoyable. I still prefer the Old Forester Signature though and it is less than half the price. It smells rich with lots of caramel and some fruit that adds a little sickly sweetness, but the nose also has some variety. It has the strongest nose of the 1870, 1897, and 1920. The nose has some nice barrel spice too. The palate is immediately fiery with spice and a harsh alcohol presence. It doesn't have a big rich chocolatey (or similar) presence, but it does have lively spice and some bright cherry. The flavor doesn't really go much of anywhere though and the cherry is too bright, particularly given the lack of complexity and richness. There's some nice smoke in this one, but at full proof it's not that great. With a bit of water, the cherry gives way a bit to smoke and some more barrel and vanilla come out. In this state, it's clearly better than the 1870, but is not clearly better than the 1897. It's still spicy and is solid enough with some decent complexity. Watered down, I'd say it's slightly better than the 1897 because it has more punch and more going on. It's not excellent though.