Lovely cognac. Spicy, very fruity and sweet, but not cloyingly sweet. The flavor is bold, extravert and may lack some complexity and subtlety of an XO, but many times I like a brighter, open flavour in a cognac better than a dense concentrated sip that mimics an eight course dinner of mainly sweet deserts. It could however be a tiny bit more tart. I do however favor similar priced whiskys over this cognac, how bold this cognac tastes, it still is pretty muted in comparison with even the lightest scotch out there. But this spirit is very smooth, no alcohol burn whatsoever.