Nose - apple cider, powdered sugar, caramel, vanilla, grape, orange blossom, bitter herbal notes, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - sour apple, mint, bitter herbal and floral notes, caramel, vanilla, grape, tannic oak, apple skin, clove, moderate alcohol bite, finishing fast with bitter herbal, apple pith, and tannic oak flavors. This is the first apple brandy I’ve tried. It falls near the middle of Laird’s range, above their applejack offerings but below some of their more aged products. I’ll admit that I was enticed by the Bottled in Bond designation on something other than whiskey. Also, I learned that Laird and Company is the oldest ‘licensed’ distillery in America, granted License No. 1 from the Treasury department in 1780. That’s pretty cool. On the nose, there’s some apple cider along with a nice powdered sugar note. There’s a floral quality I interpret as orange blossom, but some bitter herbal aromas sneak in, likely the young, bright ethanol making its presence know. The palate is similar, but even more sour, bitter, and even tannic notes appear, all but dooming this as a sipper candidate. Overall, it’s too young. It reminds me of a VS or VSOP Cognac, hinting at future glory, but largely disappointing in its current form. I’m interested to try one of Laird’s more aged bottlings, but unfortunately this one will be relegated to mixer status. And in that capacity, it suffices. I recommend trying an Autumn in Jersey cocktail, if on the off chance you have this and orgeat in the same place at the same time.