Nose: Lots of herbal/botanical notes. Palate: Strong herbal, almost gin like flavors: juniper, anise, fennel, rye with some background sweetness. Finish: Now, more Bourbon flavors, but still pretty heavy on the herbals.
I think this stuff is more aggressive than older versions. Note that while it's distilled by Heaven Hill, it's actually distilled at Brown-Forman, where all of Heaven Hill's rye has been distilled since the 1996 fire, though that is supposed to change as of mid-2011.
N: Initially a bit thin. Rye comes through, lightly wrapped in sweetness. Light vanilla and caramel. Green and piney, dry straw, wood underneath it with some cinnamon.
P: Warms quickly, with the cinnamon from the nose providing a bed for everything. Spice and pepper are strong, as is a reasonable kick of toffee and after a moment, vanilla too. There's a strong wood presence that doesn't push too hard but can't be ignored.
F: A strong and lasting finish with an initial wave of spice that gives way to increasing woodiness. It's not bitter or over-strong. Momentarily dries and goes grainy; heat fades as the finish lasts.
Enjoyable, agreeably woody. Not complex but good anyway.
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