Taste- 2 oz neat and then 3-4 drops water. Nose- Orange peel, all-spice, and holiday egg nog (I have never got that note, but this was delicious) Palate- Neat it is every spice in the spice cabinet and it is a sensory overload. It is nutmeg, pepper, allspice, and clove. It is thinner but coating in a glorious way with hints of chocolate and cocoa nibs on the back palate. Water is transformative. Snickerdoodle cookie, yellow butterscotch candies, drizzled in maple syrup, and at every turn of the screw amped to 11. Finish- long, lasting and leaves you on a butterscotch note. Overall- One of the best ryes I have had to date. Think Cornerstone Rye on steroids. But it is also different from the more nuanced, older rye whiskey that are the standard bearers- Saz, Handy, Michter's, etc. different then what you would think. Neat It is way too much spice and heat, but with water- wow! That said, if you favor an earthy, tempered and polished rye along the lines of say Thomas Handy this is the opposite of that. This is an in your face, throw everything but the kitchen sink at you, and then you have to sort it out type of a rye. I like that, it challenged me. Every drop of water unlocked a new layer and kept my interest at every sip. I also think that if you are an on the rocks drinker this could be your jam because it will definately hold up. Only reason I do not give it a 5/5 is that it is a shocker straight out of the bottle and needs a little coaxing and work. If you figure in the affordable $70 pricetag though....this could be a 6 out of 5! Well done, Canada!