Appearance: Dark gold.

Nose: Like you walked into a candy store, but a good one. Twizzlers—especially the pull & peel kind—red hots, red foil-covered chocolate cherries. Also orange peel, and then a note of spruce. It’s complex and delightful.

Palate: Red hot candies, cinnamon, and cherry give way to a smooth, nutty finish. There is lingering heat, but no burn. A little piney, menthol but it all somehow works very, very well.

Conclusion:

The nose is candy, but the taste isn’t. It’s rich, complex, and smooth. I’d drink this neat or it would even make a fantastic hot toddy. My focus group (consisting of my awesome-palated frequent co-taster) used it in a Manhattan and declared the results “fantastic.” (I was more jealous that he made one when I wasn’t around to sample.)