I bought this bottle to add to my Christmas wassail so I wasn't too concerned with the quality of the brandy. I started to get curious though, what can you taste in a $10 bottle of brandy? The nose feels right, its very heavy and full of sweet dried fruit flavors. The palate isn't nearly as enjoyable and is dominated by harsh vanilla notes. The finish is even worse with a wet mop and sour fruit flavor that you cant seem to get off your tongue. If you're looking for a brandy to sip on, look elsewhere. I'm not trying to be too harsh though, as this stuff mixes well and is very affordable.