Chivas Imperial 18 years

This aged, amber Chivas Regal from the late 20th century is an elegant 18yo "Imperial". I suspect this was quite a difficult bottle to acquire back then, making it even harder to find now. It's bottled at 43% ABV. On the nose, it evokes an American breakfast with notes of coffee, glazed orange, sugared apples, and strawberries. There's also vanilla cake and cherries. After an initial taste, the aroma shifts to resemble cough syrup and cooked apples. With further sips, I detect the scent of rain on dry earth and herbs. It genuinely smells like Scotland. On the palate, I experience candied fruits, salt, dark chocolate, oranges, and honey. There's also a hint of lulo fruit. The finish carries the unmistakable Chivas character. It's salty, with notes of ginger, strawberry, and almonds. It's notably salty and tangy. Overall, it's a superb, vintage Chivas Regal. I feel that 18 years is the ideal maturation period for their blended whiskies. It's widely acknowledged that the current 18yo signature blend is considered the pinnacle of Chivas, and this "Imperial" bottling is a precursor to the one enjoyed today. My rating is 91 out of 100.