Flavors in a Scotch on the Rocks

The title really leads me in an unexpected direction from the body. I like that a lot. I like the pounding meter of this - it sort of reminds me of slamming back scotch on the rocks. The brevity of the piece really makes the importance of each word and its impact very extreme. I am still pondering this - but my immediate reaction was - you sure packed a lot into a little space.

The title might constitute a poem in itself -- 'on the Rocks' offers a wealth of interpretations, not only in the way it complements (by conflict) 'Flavors'. More specifically, I don't drink, so the merit or deficiency of such dilution is beyond my direct experience, but I can appreciate that it forms an effective relationship with 'A virtue fades', both literally and metaphorically. I also like the sonics of this piece, where meter, rhyme and alliteration work in concert. The construction is interesting -- superficially, the vocabulary is simple, but it's delivered with an interesting semantic/syntax interplay.

Please excuse me while I attempt to extract my head from my arse...
:)

Laura, I appreciate your comprehensive look-see.  I can't help but feel dangerously inspired by the finely-tuned precision in your observations:)

@Stephan
Yeah -- perplexing how they seem to be made for each other

@Christy
Unsurprisingly, I'm inclined to regard yours in the same vein -- can I quote you on my hypothetical CV?

:)