The nose has rye with a fair amount of corn sweetness. It's about what should be expected of a bourbon. Bitter rye and cinnamon spice hit with some sweetness right there, but then it largely gives way to a slightly rancid bitter flavor. It immediately reminds me of Old Forester Signature with less punch. Wood from the barrel is apparent with some toffee (or maybe caramel and honey) and vanilla bringing in some nice sweetness. The red fruit in the background is nice and the floral notes are not too severe. The rye brings in a couple of unpleasant notes, but they aren't too bad actually. The enjoyable flavors are good enough to make this drinkable. The herbal flavors permeating the background build up the richness. A bit less spice would be nice. It's on the sweeter side for a bourbon, but I like that and the sweetness isn't overwhelming. If a few of the flavors were cleaned up a bit, this would be really good. The balance is pretty solid though and for the price this is a really good buy. It's a lot more herbal than the already herbal Old Forester Signature and has less richness to it. That characteristic rancid beet (the root vegetables, not the dead cow) flavor of Old Forester Signature is less present, but so is the richness. This is sweeter, but it's sweetness carries a simpler caramel flavor. Herbal, spicy (cinnamon, clove, and ginger), caramel, and woody. Good, but not excellent. It also reminds me of a toned-down Russell's Reserve Single Barrel, with less wood and vanilla. The Russell's Reserve has some added complexity and a little more richness, making it overall more enjoyable; however, the quality bump is not astounding given the 4x price differential. This is perhaps a simpler version of Old Forester Signature mixed with Russell's Reserve Single Barrel. It also has less banana, which I had no idea was a thing in Old Forester Signature (and I still doubt is). This is really quite drinkable. I like the combination of rye and cherry in a bourbon. It's rich with flavor yet bit terribly sweet and there's no hint of banana. It also avoids a lot of weird flavor. I might actually like it better than Old Forester Signature. This is underrated, though not excellent. Old Forester Signature might be a tad better because of its rich flavor, but it's a tough call. This is quite good, especially for the price. Mix it or sip it. I think this beats the Old Forester a tad due to its complexity, though it is less aggressively flavorful.