I like to take a long pull on this neat before cutting it with a little water. A few seconds into the finish I cough in spite of myself. The nose is powerful burnt vanilla and caramel and leather. Charred oak lingers but doesn’t lurk. It’s not hiding from anybody. Oak and molasses take a step to the front on the palate. The whiskey is smooth enough to bypass your throat and start a fire in your chest that very slowly burns itself out until you put another log on. The perfect Bourbon and branch in my mind, a small but significant dose of water leaves all the right elements in place but rounds the sharp corners a bit.