Ok let me preface by saying I hate the taste of JD no 7 and Gentleman Jack and think JD single barrel is just OK because I still get that signature JD flavor. The barrel strength, however, is a different story. On its own, it tastes like Bookers. Doing a side by side with bookers County ham and Backyard BBQ its just as good as county ham and tastes a little less rye and more corn than the bookers. I'm happy to say I didn't waste $60 on a JD whiskey. It's actually really good.