Clynelish 1995 20 Year Ibisco Decanter (Signatory)

Nose: Vanilla and beeswax with a hint of cinnamon, strongly reminiscent of scented candles. Earl Grey tea, camphor wood and naphthalene, unscented Castile soap, an herbal smokiness evoking hot oily, smoky fried rice, and some cedar cigar box in the background. Palate: An exceptionally smooth arrival of cereal and malt with a thick, oily, unctuous, waxy texture. Notes of butter, star anise-glazed ham, vanilla cream, pound cake, walnut oil, sourdough bread, aubergines fried in olive oil, honeydew melon, honey, and overripe persimmon. Finish: Long, sweet, oily, lightly smoky, and fruity. Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2015, this was an unusual and characterful dram with an amazingly voluptuous texture. It was clearly identifiable as a Clynelish but presented a different facet of the whisky than I'd previously encountered. It felt like being massaged with warm scented oil, followed by a lightly spiced Cantonese meal, and finishing with a mild fruit-flavored cigarillo. I was very eager to purchase a bottle and would have found it fascinating to explore it further at my leisure, but unfortunately, it was out of stock, and I haven't been able to find any since. Tasted at The Oak Barrel in Sydney, May 22, 2017, from a cask #8682 sample. “Very Good”: 85/100 (4 stars)