This has a deep reddish hue. The nose is rich and woody with some red fruit. The flavor is a bit flat with some nice rich, bitter wood that mixes with some cherry and raspberry plus dark chocolate. It's on the dry side and tastes kind of like imitation old scotch. It is an interesting take though. There sure is a lot of alcohol presence and the fruit on the finish is kind of nice and fruity without being particularly sweet. It's rich, but not smoky. The flavor is more dignified than that of the Tullibardine Sauternes. There's some vanilla and malt flavor. If it were less flat and a little more full, this could be some pretty good whiskey. As it is, it's sippable and an interesting detour, but it's mostly a diversion rather than something worth contemplating. The sweetness is definitely there but it not excessive. The sweetness increases toward the finish, which is a good behavior. There's something here that's a little bit like butterscotch and some syrup, but it isn't much. It's absolutely worth a try once, but it falls clearly short of excellence.