Nose: Nutmeg, pepper, mixed herbs, raisins, apple cider, grapefruit, lemon peel, yeast. Water adds pears and a wildflower note.
Palate: Overwhelmingly hot at first and quite palate numbing. Once settled there’s the apple cider, grapefruit, lemon peel and nutmeg. A decent splash of water brings the hot spices to heel and adds a buttery element, creamy nuts like macadamia’s and some tanginess and overall far more satisfying.
Finish: Starts with apple cider then moves towards a tequila like pepper, spearmint candy, tobacco leaf and nougat. With water the yeast makes a return.
Last Word: Neat the palate starts unbalanced on the hot side. Fortunately this can be tamed with the addition of water. The finish is the highlight for me.

Rating: 84/100