Color/appearance- much darker than most 12-15 year scotches. Red/amber hues. I anticipate a lot of the wine finish influence. Legs are thick and slow. Nose- fig newton right out of the box! Dusty powdered sugar too. There is also a scotchy tanginess to it. Palate- reminds me of powdered sugar, creme filled donut with fig jam. This is a fruit salad. The viscosity is thick, and coating. Without the tangy scotch nose, I could be fooled that this is a young armagnac. It draws much grapey, fig, and plum flavors from the cabernet and suppprts it with an oaky backbone Finish- finish lasts and fades to chocolate with a nougat center. There is no burn at any point. I may have wanted it to challenge me more, but for what it does, it does well. Overall- this is an easy sipper, and a great transitional whiskey for someone like me crossing from bourbon, cognac, armagnac background into the world of Scotch. No bandaids, rubbery taste here. If there is a flaw, it may be too much wine influence has made it move into a dessert category. If you are looking for a wonderful, dont break the bank, digestif scotch-- this should be high on your list of must tries