Color: Nice medium amber (like most EC batches) Nose: Wow! Cinnamon, maple brown sugar, and Holiday spices. A phenomenal nose. Palate: (Drank with an ice cube) This stuff is not shy! Came on strong and hot on the first sip — hotter than I had anticipated! Spicy, sweet and slightly syrupy on the tongue. I really can't call up memories of past EC batches... but this one serms reminiscent of others I have had. However, wheress some batches have not made an immediate impression on me, this one has. It's potent and robust and rather enjoyable. After that initial heat assault on the first sip, it calmed down (the ice cube might have something to do with that). Finish: Lots of lingering spice and the tongue tingle I have become well-aquiainted with from high-proof pours. This is a great batch from Elijah Craig. If I can grab another after this bottle is killed, I definitely will. I want to mention one last thing... I could have scored this bottle for around $70.00. But I opted to wait for my trusty grocery store — that I walk to — to get it in. As a result, I paid $20 more for it than I really had to. But I can honestly say that this was worth paying the extra $$$ in order to not have to drive somewhere in order to buy it.