Whoa! This is some interesting stuff! When I first uncorked it I wasn't sure if I liked it, and it may not be for everyone, but it's definitely a wild ride that I'm enjoying more and more as I work my way through the bottle. This is a type of pomace brandy called chacha from Georgia (the country, not the US state). It is made from a Georgian grape variety called mtsvane. To the best of my knowledge it is unaged. Maybe more than anything else I've tried, I find the aroma of this changes after it sits in the glass a bit. At first it hits you with a blast of sourness: green grapes, sour apple, lime, and something almost like white vinegar. I'm not sure if it's the spirit or my nose acclimating, but after a bit it seems to mellow out into something quite entrancing. Green grapes are still prominent along with tart apple, but the off-putting vinegary quality is replaced by a remarkable bouquet of subtler, softer notes. There is a creaminess to it, a bit of vanilla, and a delicious undercurrent of flowers. I'm not sure it actually smells like gardenias but it reminds me of gardenias because of the heavy "weight" of the scent. It's a deep, rich sweetness, adding body to the tartness that's apparent at first. Once it settles down, the scent is really something. As I sit with a glass of it next to me, sometimes I'll pick it up and smell it and just put it down without taking a sip. The flavor is not quite as beguiling but still very nice. At first it hits you with citrus and a tingly sensation that makes it seem almost like Sprite (or carbonated lemon-lime beverage of your choice). It moves into green grapes and green apples. (Apparently "mtsvane", the name of the grape varietal, means "new, young, and green" in Georgian, and it seems apt.) The finish is tingly and drying, almost like menthol (although without that flavor) and lingers for quite some time. Overall it packs quite a punch. The initial vinegar smell is unpleasant, and the flavor has perhaps a tad too much tingly sourness for my taste, but these are minor quibbles. It is, however, unabashedly young, brash, and sharp. I think it does that quite well, but don't look to this for a soft and rounded easy chair of a drink. For that reason, although I think it's pretty awesome, I can imagine some others might not share my opinion. Did I mention it's only $20? I would buy this again even if it were $30. At $20 it is a steal. The same maker also has another version made from saperavi, a different Georgian grape varietal, and after experiencing this mtsvane the saperavi is definitely on my to-buy list. Supposedly chacha can also be made from other fruits too. I haven't seen any of that available but if I do I'll be on it.