Tasted neat. On the nose it smells like a young spirit but nothing offensive. I get some red apple with the slightest hints of smoke. The palate is really light, some more apple a bit of vanilla and some pepper rounds it up. The finish is short and nothing remarkable but I would not turn it away if offered to me. I bought this bottle for 11.99 to make one of my favorite whiskey cocktails. I will mix this with some natural coconut water over ice. This is how I learned to drink scotch as a teenager back in my home land of Puerto Rico. With weather being so warm year round my people always have this refreshing cocktail on standby. Salud!