This is obviously not meant to be consumed straight, but let's give it a shot! It burns, but does have that nice sweet alcohol warmth. There's that vodka bitterness and some tartness that is reminiscent of rye, but the palate is not as awful as expected despite being really harsh. This raises the question though of whether cask strength bottlings are really just incidences of poor quality liquor being disguised. With water added, it still tastes quite neutral with some bitterness and grain tartness, but nothing overwhelming getting in the way. This is I'm no way a sipper, but its flavor actually isn't miserable and it has a nice neutrality that makes it a reasonable option for increasing the proof of a spirit for additional home aging by a percent or two. Chopin is more neutral, but the added sweetness, spice, and dryness here are not overwhelming.