This is a fairly typical Irish whisky in terms of flavor profile. I get honey, apple/pear notes along with vanilla and shortbread. Nose and palate are pretty much the same notes with nothing really evolving over the course of the sip. The 10 years gives it a bit more oomph than your garden variety Bushmills with a rounder mouthfeel and more viscosity. But what makes it prohibitive is the pricing here. Typical of a lot of brands these days, it's about ten dollars too expensive. I managed to pick it up at a $12 discount, and for $38 it's not bad. I wouldn't exactly call it a steal, but I didn't rue the cash. Overall, it's one that can be enjoyed best after tasting something better when you still want a whisky but you're not as discerning with what that whisky is. At 80 proof, it might be a bit more intense and interesting if you bumped the proof up, but then again, if you're using it to the effect of having something to taste to come down off your better whiskies, having something that's 80 proof doesn't hurt. PS. This is one of those odd whiskies where it tastes better sipping out of a shot glass than out of a tumbler or a Glencairn. I'm not sure what makes this happen, but I've noticed that every once in a while, a whisky comes along where this is the case.