It's a pleasant golden. It smells first like apples and pears, more subtly of citrus and honey, and then faintly of vanilla. The taste is sweet. I get mostly honey and apple notes, with very little bite. A dash of water really smoothes it out into a silky sipper, but an ice cube made it so light that it almost stripped it of all its warming character. For an affordable bottle, this is very enjoyable. It's accessible and would make a nice gift for a friend or a great addition to a party.