I opened the bottle a while back and the nose is just brimming with ripe pear. There is vanilla hiding behind it with some other sweeter notes. The taste is quite light and friendly, you would expect to find a lot of pear in it as the nose seems to promise but I can't get that much. Aftertaste turns quite spicy and long with hints of the sherry. I quite enjoy this and it is my first real foray into Irish whisky. By the way, in coffee it is fantastic!