Nose (neat): Fortified wine, pipe tobacco, balsa wood, raisins, figs, cloves, nutmeg. There is a strong ethanol hit and an earthy quality but young resinous wood aromas tend to push everything else aside. Nose (reduced): Lots of berry notes, the wine aroma sweetened, the dark fruits deepened and the resinous wood all but disappeared. Much better. Palate (neat): Big, sweet and hot tannic arrival with raisins, dates and almost burnt molasses. Lots of chewing tobacco in the development along with dark fruitcake, but it has a sour edge like it has been overcooked and nearly burnt. Palate (reduced): More gently sweet with the hot alcohol tamed and the burnt fruitcake going away. The reduced palate is luscious and considerably more satisfying. It does not gain complexity, but it does achieve balance and poise. Finish: Medium. Toffee and sour apples fading to acidic cola. When water is added the palate lengthens and becomes sweeter and more gentle. This is the second of my recently acquired tasting samples of high-strength Limeburners whiskies. As with every Limeburners expression I have yet tasted there is a forceful presence of young, resinous wood, like a combination of balsa and pine. This is out of control in some expressions but in others, like this one, it’s not too intrusive. I don’t know whether it is the particular casks they use, or the climate, or the distillate itself that produces this woody quality but I’m just not a fan. However I was very pleased that adding a dash of water significantly changed this dram. On the nose everything instantly integrated and deepened with a lot of cherry and blackberry notes coming out. Most satisfyingly the intrusive woody quality I dislike retreated almost completely. The palate was likewise much improved with the fruitcake, molasses and tobacco melding and softening. Allowing the reduced dram to rest in the glass for a while improves it even more. When tasted neat I was going to give this whisky 79/100 but after adding a good dash of water that rating is going up to 83. This is the second best Limeburners whisky I've tasted to date, but IMHO reducing it is compulsory. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)