Woodford Reserve Distillery Series Barrel Finished Rye

Intro:  From Woodford Reserve website...

An eclectic line of one-of-a kind expressions, Distillery Series pushes the creative boundaries of whiskeys to the extreme. Each selection is masterminded by Master Distiller Chris Morris, and is available for purchase at the Woodford Reserve Distillery and select Kentucky retailers.

Review:

The Rub...

Definite vanilla and sweet smells.  You get some barrel but not over the top.  

The Nose...

Astringent...very strong alcohol burn.  I can't get past the burn...oh god...I'm sneezing!  Too strong of the burning alcohol...not smelling too much besides that.

First sip, a little tongue burn.  Nothing bad...but now don't remember it and I just took the sip.  Second sip...oily on the tongue.  Very much a rye whiskey, and very much a good rye.  Vanilla is very strong on the finish, like vanilla bean ice cream.  Third sip...not a ton of barrel, but its there.  I am a huge fan.  Not that nutty flavor some ryes have.   

Is it worth the $?

$49 for 375ml...but it is a special item only available at the distillery.  I think if you are a collector, its a nice one to have in the collection.  However, if you are not, and need a daily drinker, this is not the one you want.