Nose is light, floral, with a whiff of orange peel...nothing off-putting, but also nothing to write home about. Palate has nice mouth feel, and opens smooth and sweet, with apples quickly leading to a burst of sticky cognac pear flavors that are just as quickly pushed aside by a very little dried (stale) spice and a fair bit of oak tannins. Closes short, slightly sweet, and with no surprises. Glad I tried it, but the core 12-year is not only quite a bit cheaper, it's also quite a bit better.