Floral smell with a touch of honey. Slightly too much alcohol burn to enjoy neat. Has a flat herbal taste that finishes so clean as to leave no residual taste. Now add 2 or 3 drops of water and things change for the better! Smells of chocolate bordering on toffee and less of rubbing alcohol. It goes across the tongue more oily feeling than watery, smoother. Hard butterscotch candy...that's what I'm getting now but still some herbalness. Nothing offensive with this but nothing special to me, particularly at the price. I'd rather spend the money on an Irish whiskey.