i really wanna say this is somewhere between Johnnie Walker Black and Evan Williams black. Evan is my go to for well bourbon and once it's opened for long enough I really enjoy it even up. That being said, for the price this crown black ain't bad. When it's this smokey I prefer it a bit more salty, but yeah this is somewhere between a smokey scotch and a decently smooth cheap bourbon. I recommend giving it at least a try. I don't hate it, I don't love it. In my opinion it's okay. Sure does smell nice, aired out almost smells like Maker's a bit. Straight out the bottle no air, it smells harsh. The taste is smooth for this price range.