This tastes like a special bourbon. It has plenty of sweetness but it is balanced by the bitterness without beets completely overtaking it and without rye spice dominating either. There is a fair amount going on and a few flavors stand out, putting this out toward the upper end, but not at the zenith. The sweet and bitter anise flavor is what really makes this worth drinking, much like how the Glenmorangie 18's coconut flavor works well for it. The barrel is clearly present and there are also nice grassy notes with it. Caramel is there for sure and mint comes in in a subtle manner. There is a dark fruity flavor to it like bing cherries that is quite nice. It could do with some more complexity and a real knock-out flavor like that illusive apricot in single malts but as it is it is still really good. There is something surprisingly astringent here, almost like a tequila, but it never tastes overly like alcohol. When all of the flavors are put together, the bitterness and spice are a bit much, but it isn't overwhelmingly so. The balance is quite good, though not masterful perhaps. It's good, but probably not worth the price.