.north british - 23yo - smws g1.12 - mouth-puckering sweetness

We joined in a "whisky for a year" bottle share back in 2014, where we received an smws bottle(share) each month. Good times, I only never got around to taste them until now. A shame really...

60.3% abv, €120
single grain, non-chill filtered, natural colour

Nose: heavy, grainy, sweet, corn, honey, floral, honeycomb, heather, fruity, pomme grenade, citrus, oranges, pomelo, spicy, cinnamon, allspice, with water: creamy, more fruity, more floral, sweeter

Palate: sweet, honey, floral, heather, fruity, rather dry, citrus, pomelo, pomme grenade, blood oranges, new leather, tobacco leaves, spicy, allspice, cinnamon, black pepper, with water; heavier on the sugar, less fruity though

Finish: long, dry, sweet, honey, tobacco leaves, spicy, allspice, black pepper, cinnamon, with water; sweeter, more floral
Mark: +++++ 

Conclusion: as North British as a North British can get. Beautifully balanced, spicy, hot, fruity and firm. Very, very likeable. With water added, she gets heavier on the sweetness, less balanced. The nose gets fantastic, the palate and finish quite a bit sweeter and more floral. Still very good though.

More info: distilled on 14/12/1990, matured in a refill ex-Bourbon hogshead for 23 years to be bottled at cask strength of a whopping 60.3% into 163 bottles in 2014.