Nose: initially very boozy due to the high proof. A bit of nail polish remover blasts you in the nose. However, once is settles down you get milk chocolate, dark sweets, something vegetal like celery, and a hint of char/woodsmoke. A trace of maple floating around as well. Palate: strong. Boozy. Sharp. Again, after mellowing in the glass for a few you get maple sweetness, barrel char, mixed nuts, vanilla, and I don’t know why but a hint of what I can only describe as strawberry essence? Weird, I know. Finish: cherry cola. A little smoke. And that strawberry again. Some nuttiness. This is my favorite rye. High proofed, complex, sweet without being cloying. I don’t know why it isn’t more hyped than so many others out there, but that’s ok. More for me. It also makes a KILLER Manhattan.