Remarkably sweet, but not revoltingly so. From what I read, this spirit is made by mixing real vanilla liquor and bourbon. Drinking it neat means you're not finishing it anytime soon, but it's a good item to bring to a party to which everyone else brings wine or beer---something different that non-whiskey drinkers can appreciate as a change of pace. Next time, though, I'll take Beam's commercials' advice and mix with cola.