Alcohol forward, but with heavy, deep, spicy/sweet caramel notes with first whiff. With first taste however, it's creamy on the tongue and hits the taste buds with a beautiful charred Hickory that you wouldn't expect from the brand. The finish is smoother than I expected, and is gone as quickly as as the tastes began. I can see why this has been getting such great reviews. For the money especially, one of the best BIBs I've had.