Nose: vanilla & caramel as well a a spice I can't quite place but it reminds one of Christmas... Color I find unimportant as it really does not effect my enjoyment of this or any other drink. Taste: very light oil at first, again slight vanilla. most of the flavor drops off for me leaving only burning, an enjoyable burn but still a burn. Adding water is almost a must, just a few drops and it changes completely, the burn takes longer to start letting you enjoy the subtlety longer. All in all it is too subtle for me. I find myself chasing the complexity but never quite catching it.