Inviting aroma, particularly if you're a rum drinker. Syrup, raisins, dates, brown sugar, a lot of dry wood and nuttiness. The palate is all polish. A lot of the fruit and dessert notes that are customary to Brandy have faded. The fruit that is there is dried out. The wood is assertive but there isn't as much tannin as I would have guessed. The texture is silken but at what cost? While you wouldn't think to slug this back, after a sip you're a little tempted. Like I said, this Brandy has a lot of polish, while that's an admirable quality in a spirit, this time it's too much of a good thing.