Clynelish 27 Year In My Hands...

Isn't that label beautiful?  It has our classic logo on it and A.D. Rattray labels have maroon coloring as is, so the partnership was destined to happen!  I'm always nervous that my selections won't be as spectacular as I remember them being, so I rushed over this morning to pick up my bottle of Clynelish 27 Year Cask Strength Single Barrel whisky and taste it once again.  Bottled at a whopping 60.1%, this dram has a massive strength despite being aged entirely in hogshead.  With a bit of water added, the nose is a pungent barrage of sweet grains, juicy stonefruit, and candle wax.  The palate is a hotbead of peach puree, oily textures, and heather with a spicy kick in the teeth on the finish.  I'm so happy to finally have this whisky in my own home to sit down with and really get to know.  I have now tasted it three times and each meeting shows me different flavors than the previous one.  These decades-old, unpeated, unsherried single malts are far more interesting in my opinion because they are dense, complicated, and unyielding.  It's like reading Moby Dick or Infinite Jest - intimidating and intense.  These things take time to unlock so I hope you're all up for the challenge.  Unfortunately, these sold out during our pre-arrival campaign so if you didn't reserve one I have no more to offer.  Please email me your own opinions as I am dying to see what others think!

-David Driscoll