Clynelish Blackadder Raw Cask 1995 19 year old

A final review for Blackadder Raw Cask Clynelish 19 year old, distilled 1995 and bottled 2014, cask 1471, 8 of 60.

The only Clynelish I did not pick up from the LCBO. Instead of being ruthless ripped off here in Ontario, I allowed myself to be ruthlessly ripped off in San Francisco. Still, the shop I visited in SF had its whisky selection located in an alcove the size of a walk-in closet and yet had a selection that was about 5 times more diverse than the ENTIRE PROVINCE OF ONTARIO. And this, ladies and gentlemen, is why the LCBO is a bunch of ********************************. Now on to the review!

Nose: a rich, buttery nose, with lemon, herbal tea, and banana & nuts. Very expressive and robust thanks to the high ABV and zero filtration. And the inherent quality of the malt.

Palate: deceptively soft landing. Rich and syrupy; ethereal and diaphanous. Then an eruption of flavours - honey, bread, lemon, herbal, nuts, wood spice, and mild banana. Wonderfully complex and flavourful.

Finish: long, tannic finish that goes on forever. Residual lemony bready sweetness and oaky spice.

This one is a winner. Wonderfully complex with a mixture of bold and subtle flavours. Unlike the others it did not require a long resting period for these flavours to emerge. When first opened it reminded me, to my undying horror, of Glen Breton Rare (a woeful Canadian single malt), but it quickly settled and came into its own.

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