Smell is not great. Seems to be almost an oily contamination to it; not welcoming. But the sip is much better than the nose would lead you to expect. Elmer T Lee is my favorite, outside of the Antique Collection, if that puts things in perspective. This has a good spice to it, without any burn at all. Would not suggest this for novice drinkers, they would probably get turned off by the nose, and think the taste is only ok for this price point. But this is a good buy for the price!