This strangely smells like an herbal liqueur, and the nose is by far the most interesting part: licorice, cola, and hints of black pepper. The palate is a letdown though, as nothing but blank astringency hits you first, and then the muted flavors unbuckle themselves and slowly saunter to the front: "prickly" vanilla (think the cheapest of white rums), followed by a blast of heat and cheap bourbon flavors so subtle that you'll wonder if your taste buds are working. The ending contains a disappointing *poof* of char that just tastes like a tiny bitter ash floating up from the ethanol, along with a minuscule amount of sweetness and accompanied by a sad trombone. If this was supposed to be the "black" part, then it is akin to a single dead dove being shot out of a wedding cake; the presence of it is entirely expected based on the labeling, but the delivery is so anticlimactic (and in such shockingly poor taste) that you feel like it somehow warrants an apology.