This bourbon's flavor is very very simple with only a few well done notes. Subtle woody leathery spicy and vanilla come through strong. The batch I got had some aspect of charcoal that I felt overwhelmed the flavors somewhat. That being said, the nose on this is the finest out of the offerings I have tried from four roses. For those of us that feel that simplicity is best, it is worth the money. The Japanese inspired bottle, mirrors the cultural influences that resulted in this bourbon's elements.