Reddish hue. Light and sweet with a lot of cinnamon. Honestly, it is hard to get much of anything else from the nose or palate other than cinnamon, a bit of sweetness and a bit of a spicy kick on the finish. Enjoyable, but too light and nowhere near impactful enough. I don't usually think this, but if the proof was cranked up to 100 it would be leagues better. Got to say, though, as I've worked through the bottle it has been something of a go to for me because it is lighter - a good starter. Kind of similar to a lighter scotch. It might creep up in my estimation. It's also only $32 which is pretty outstanding for a 10 year even if Eagle Rare beats this pretty handily.