I should note that I'm not a fan of cognac but I received this bottle as a gift. Over the course of a two week period I paired the beverage with food, alone, snacks. I really felt that this flavor was great when it with something else. It and an ice cube. It and a meal. It and a snack. On its own, I did not feel that it was anything over the top and worth the price tag it originally had. The flavor wasn't off putting (aside from the cognac but as I said, not a fan of that, so I'm not including that in my review). In other words, it wasn't like I'd throw a bottle out but these sell for silly money on the secondary. I wouldn't buy it for that. If I could find it for normal prices, I probably would.