Clynelish 1996 17 Year (Adelphi)

This was the second of 10 whiskies tried at an Adelphi tasting. The classic Clynelish nose of melted wax and paraffin is well represented here. The palate is rich and fruity: melons and some kind of sour fruit, and then sweet pears on the finish. Neat, it’s a little hot for my liking, but water brings out Schezuan peppers that dominate the fruitiness. A little frustrating that it doesn’t swim well, but if you can tolerate this neat you’ll probably mark it higher than I did.

Fruity palate, a little oily, long finish with a little dark fruit and caramel, wax and pear on the nose. Pretty nice flavors and aromas in there, but the only thing preventing this from being excellent is that it's a little on the hot side.