The artificial color (thankfully not ground bugs anymore...) is an attractive orangey-red that makes for nicely colored drinks. Nose is complex (and for me, indecipherable). Taste is sweet at first, with a complex bitter blast in the middle, before finishing with an orange zest sweetness. Obviously, this is not a liqueur for everyone, but it works well for those who tolerate bitter. I personally would not drink this straight, but I very much enjoy the complex flavors in a Negroni.