Danfield's Limited Edition 21 Year Old

This is a quick, sequential review. It's my second day without any caffeine (I've been weaning). Last night I was exhausted by 10 pm and went to bed. I woke up at 4 am with a headache. 3 hours and Tylenol and ibuprofen later I got a little sleep but then had to get up for work. I tried to nap this afternoon but wasn't very successful and as soon as the kids are tucked in I will be too.

I've had this before. I think I tried it 2 years ago in August thanks to @TAlexander. Then it came up again at another tasting and somewhere down the line, when I lamented I wouldn't own a bottle of it (I don't think it is available anymore) @Paddockjudge was kind enough to give me a generous four ounce sample of it. I don't know how long the bottle was open but this is the first time I have opened the sample bottle.

I don't know the composition (though I'm sure if we ask @paddockjudge can provide some illumination)

Nose - fruits, green apples, caramel, perhaps a touch of butterscotch. Something spicy behind it. Light, subtle, quite pleasant. 22/25

Taste - a little thin on the mouth-feel with an alcohol bite. Some caramel and some spiciness from the first sip. Something "old", like damp wood, but not in a bad way, adds a slight sourness to it. The more I sip it the more I like it. 22/25

Finish - medium-long, some caramel, a touch of pleasant bitterness (could that be from 21 years in wood?), a little astringent. 21/25

Balance - nice balance of flavour, the nose and palate complement each other, but it is a little weak.- 21/25

Trader Joe's 85% Dark Chocolate completely overpowers this whisky. Their milk chocolate seems to complement it.

Total Score: 86/100

A pattern I've found with those Canadian whiskies that I enjoy is that it takes a few sips for me to realise the full potential of what I'm tasting. This is very true with this one. So I think it's less suited for a formal review and more suited to sitting with a small group of friends, and enjoying over an extended period of time. If I close my eyes I can imagine just that and the score goes up by one or two...

I have no doubt some others on this site will mark this a little higher. This is a good whisky and a great ambassador for Canadian spirits, but to me its greatest shortcoming is likely attributable to its ABV and almost certain chill-filtration. I'm starting to sound like a broken record when I say: "I wonder what this would taste like at cask strength."