It smells malty, but lightly aged and not all that alcoholic (surprisingly, given the ABV). The palate is a lot more bitter and herbal than expected. There is a nice sweet element holding it up a bit, but it is still a bit too much bitterness, especially since it is herbal rather than age in its nature. The black pepper has a pronounced flavor and is strikingly hot. There is some nasty alcohol in the finish. Unfortunately, I think the alcohol makes up a fair amount of the herbal flavor too. This isn't the worst drink, but it's not very enjoyable. Some more complexity comes out with water, but so does a lot of alcohol bitterness. The alcohol really becomes overwhelming. The flavor has some interesting elements that aren't too bad, but they aren't enough to counterbalance the bad flavors. It's interesting to sip briefly but then it becomes ugly. It's too bad because the complexity is kind of nice, but the flavor needs some help.