Clynelish A.D. Rattray 17YO

This is from a 375 AD Rattray Cask Collection bottling of 17 YO Clynelish. Distilled June 14 of 1995 and bottled in July 11 of 2012. Casked in bourbon hogshead, so no sherry influence here. Bottled at a respectable 56.1 percent.

I have been enjoying this bottle this afternoon along with a few breaks of water and Compass Box Oak Cross. I poured 2 4 Oz. tasters to be saved for later. This left me with 4-5 drams to enjoy. So I am reporting on first impressions on a just opened bottle.

It is quite pale in appearance. If I could have, I'd have slid the cursor a bit to the left. The alcohol is forefront in the nose, but followed by the expected vanilla (due to the age and cask), and beeswax honey. Some briny maritime notes are present as well. Lemongrass, but it is absolutely buried by that beeswax. The vanilla is omnipresent.

The arrival is slow as alcohol and honey soak into your tongue. Then it is there. Hot and stinging and sweet. The oak comes on, with a bitter dominance, vanilla and honey fighting, but ultimately bitter and drying. I do not mean this in a bad way. This is a hot, sweet whisky. That bitter middle is almost mandatory. As it fades, the prickling heat lingers, along with the wax, along with the honey. The finish feels like your tongue has just done battle with some serious menthol - it is quite numb. But the overall taste left behind is a mildly salty sweetness. It keeps the mouth watering, and keeps me reaching for another pour.

I will buy this again should I ever see it.

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