Incredible bang for the buck here. The aroma is soft, like toast with honey, and almost buttery. There's also a faint sweet fruitiness, a scent of peaches. Overlaid on all this is a gentle smoke, not at all harsh, just warm and enticing. The buttered bread is there in the flavor as well. The mouth feel is deliciously creamy. The smoke turns into a slightly tangy taste and the finish leaves you with a pleasant aftertaste of toast cooked over an open fire, along with rich, creamy honey butter. It's kind of nuts that this is only $25 a bottle. At that price it's comparable to Johnnie Walker Black, which can't compete with this. (Did I mention it's 50% ABV?) I assume the only reason this hasn't taken the world by storm is that it's a private-label blend that's only available from K&L Wines. But then again, why is that? Perhaps it's best not to ask too many questions. This is one of the few whiskies where, on trying it (and remembering how little I paid for it), I immediately knew I would want to get another bottle, and (assuming it remains available from K&L) maintain it as a standard in my liquor cabinet. The combination of quality and price is remarkable. One more bonus of living in California!