An acquired taste for me, I’m afraid. I worked with a fan of the stuff for 17 years. Every time I tried it I was reminded of gasoline. A taste I got sucking gas from the car to the mower in my youth. My friend waxed poetic about the swill, so I guess it proves that tastes vary.
There are different kinds of grappa. The cheap stuff is bad, just like you expect. You have to pay a little more and you really need to drink it after a meal and not on an empty stomach.