The nose is fruity with a nice combination of cherry and orange peel. There's some spice on the nose that fits in well. The palate has those same cherry and orange flavors in nice balance with the spice. There's some alcohol coming in, but it isn't overwhelming. There isn't a ton of complexity here, but it's solid enough in the flavor department. The sweetness is not overwhelming, though it does have a bit of an icing sugar presence. This has much more orange and spice than Symbols National does, though it is less rich and layered and has more of an alcohol presence. This also has a more floral, lighter flavor. I do like the orange and spice though. This isn't a bad Cognac. This compared favorably with Hennessey VS in terms of being punchily fruity with a syrupy backing. It has a nicer core than Bushmill's Black Bush does, but it also has less complexity. In a direct comparison, Bushmill's wins due to its ability to mask it's alcohol and provide more depth, but this is still pretty good. The nose is more rich and woody than that of Pierre Duchene. There are slight hints of cherry, but there are also grapefruit and orange. There might also be faint scents of chocolate and caramel, as well as some light floral notes. It smells very good. The palate is fairly rich and viscous with a tangerine sweetness before some mild notes of dark cherry and chocolate and a bit of oily bitterness, reminding me of Irish whiskey like Bushmill's. This would be a disappointing substitute for Bushmill's 21, but it's quite good and certainly better than Pierre Duchene. There's something a bit like formaldehyde tannin coming out that I'm not a fan of and none of the flavors are all that exciting and powerful. There's a bit of a metallic flavor with the tannins that I wish were absent. It's less floral, sweet, and grainy than Bushmill's Black Bush is. The Bushmill's has more complexity to its flavor, but it also has more of an immature sweetness. This is surprisingly numbing, though I guess it does have some clove flavor. I appreciate the richness here, but the metal is a bit much. Despite the sweetness of the Bushmill's, it executed a nicer balance of flavors. This is richer with some lurking subtlely, but it's more jagged. I'd say that the two are about the same quality, but the Bushmill's is a little bit better. Compared with Pierre Duchene, this has more floral and fruity (apricot) notes on the nose, as well as less murky scent. The palate has a nice sweet floral apricot flavor. The profile is cleaner than that of the Pierre Duchene, though the flavor is also milder. It isn't as harsh and the apricot flavor is juicy and lingering. The Pierre Duchene isn't bad by any means, but this is clearly better for drinking (likely no better or even worse for cooking though).