The nose is heavy dark corn syrup, butterscotch, an aroma of slightly burned caramel, and a bit of Isopropyl. The first taste is sticky sweetness, followed by a floral flavor that I can't identify. The flavor levels out and the finish is pleasant with sweetness moving out being replaced by a bitterness that is not unpleasant. There is no real spice, or bite. The dram is very smooth but not super complex. I would love to identify the floral flavor that is dominant after the dark brown sugar. This is designed to be mixed but I sampled neat and with a few rocks. I do not drink sweetened beverages and haven't in almost 20 years. Therefore, I tollerate unsweetened and less sweet drinks better than most. I am certain that the big sweet drink lovers might find the bitterness on the finish a bit much. I don't drink much rum. This is mostly due to some overconsumption episodes while in college. I am using this as a reintroduction to an old favorite. The good news is, the absence of traditional rum flavor. I didn't find any triggers to have to power through. It was good and I might find a place on my shelf for another bottle for summer months. I also have a bottle of the XO 15 year that I have not cracked. The bad news... neither bottle is available in NC. I picked this up in SC. It is available in limited areas in VA as well. Thankfully I don't have a "rum issue" (like my bourbon issue).