Nose is very faintly almonds backed by Demerara sugar and what could charitably be described as a burnt pie crust lurking in the shadows. Palate is heavy-ish, mouth-coating but not overly viscous, and with a bit more heat than I would have expected for 12yrs and 40abv. Vanilla, honeysuckle and canned fruit salad in light syrup (with its commensurate slightly metallic side-note) is the best I can come up with. Close is short but not abrupt, slightly hot, and consists almost completley of those wood tannins I expected earlier. The mouthfeel is really nice, but the flavor profile, or more appropriately the lack of any distinguishable flavors at all, is a huge letdown. Makes a great Irish coffee, but so does Jameson Black Barrel or Bushmills Black Bush, and they’re readily available, cost less, and dare I say, taste better?