Initially nosed and tasted at cask strength and whoa this is a heavy hitter with crazy tannins. Diluted to about 45%. All notes below refer to diluted tasting. Nose: Lots of vanilla. Some maple and cinnamon here as well as black pepper. Burnt French toast anyone? Palate: Rye, rye, and more rye. Super spicy immediately. Black pepper and cinnamon. The spice continues, particularly along the back sides of the tongue. Very little sweetness to this one, which is not necessarily a bad thing. Finish: Long with lots of oak. Tannins linger and the back of the palate tingles with the excitement of what it just experienced. At the very last moment some faint green apple notes emerge. Overall if you are looking for a true to the grain rye, this is it. There's no messing around here. The cask strength allows flexibility to dilute or not dilute, particularly for a cocktail (I had this in an old-fashioned last night and it was great). Certainly this is very good value and one I would plan on keeping around if it remains available.