The nose is barrel char and fruity notes - banana? Rubbing alcohol. On the palate this is very chocolatey, bitter dark chocolate, rubbing alcohol, char, dry oak. The finish is long with bitter chocolate, wood, and grass. Some of the more bitter flavors run a little too wild in the end for my taste, but I can appreciate this in that it's different. Edit: I normally don't add water to stuff below the mid 50s ABV, but I did in this case, and it makes a world of difference- the nose becomes very malty, with hints of spice, and a little bitter chocolate. The change in taste is even more dramatic. The barley malt really jumps forward, and the bitter chocolate notes take a back seat. It has a nice spice, somewhere between ground ginger and white pepper, and develops a sour apple character. The finish is spice, malt, oak, and just a hint of baking chocolate. I would not drink this again without water, but with it, it's almost a different spirit.