"When rye comes off the still it is sweet, grassy, and floral. A traditional spicy characteristic all come from the barrel. With this whiskey, our goal was to lightly oak the rye distillate in our 7-year bourbon barrels with added fresh oak and applewood staves. This is a light, tropical ""summer"" rye and makes for some great cocktails. A good bitter, or a splash of vermouth or ginger beer goes a long way. "