Smell is of watermelon Jolly Ranchers. You can't really find the basil anywhere. Look hard enough and you get just a whiff of ethanol. Nonetheless it's quite a pleasant, carefree scent. The watermelon dominates the palate though the basil can be found in the mid palate and towards the end but it's very understated. It's also surprisingly bitter at the end. Not unpleasantly mind you but for the Jolly Rancher Watermelon flavor that commands most of your attention it did catch me off guard. Mixed with strawberry lemonade it added a great touch of watermelon and a herbal note underpinning everything. Will update my review later today to include how it tastes with soda water and aromatic tonic. This is obviously meant to be mixed and not sipped neat at room temperature. I'd say this is one of the best flavored Vodkas on the market as it doesn't taste overly sugar or artificial but pales in comparison to Ketel One's excellent infusions.