Nose of apple and pear. The second sniff is just a touch of spilled black ink and the last, fleeting drippings of a gas pump. The flavor is more tree fruits: pear, red apple skins, apricot. The potpourri, flowery spice comes dances on the palate. There is a surprising burn for 86 proof. The finish is tobacco smoke and more of that inky stuff. The more you add water droplets, the more the burn subsides and the apple skins pop out. Tannic/puckery tartness that dovetails well with the citrus and spice. A pretty solid, affordable Irish.