16 Year old Clynelish from a beautiful refill sherry hogshead that has transformed the whisky, but not overpowered it. My first nosing immediately reminded me of Hawaiian Punch - a veritable fruit salad of red. Further passes yielded toasted granola and honey. A few minutes later the nose is all sweet milk chocolate followed by darker cocoa nibs. Coming back to the whisky after a few more minutes, jolly rancher hard candy in all the red flavors. While Clynelish is well known for its fruit, this one is particularly heavy in the cherry and raspberry realms. Many minutes in the glass will coax it all out. On the palate, soft ripe plums and other stone fruits come through and the toasty granola of the nose stands out in a big way. It shows off the grain mixed with roasted nuts and fresh baked shortbread cookies. A little sweet herbaceousness adds a fun twist, alfalfa and licorice come to mind. Cinnamon makes a big appearance here along with candied citrus peel. The finish shows a little of that appealing Clynelish waxiness mixed in with the spicy cinnamon notes, like a red hot candy, all caramelized sugar and paraffin. With water the nose moves into more green apple crunchy territory and the palate shows more waxen with a bent towards graham crackers. At 55% ABV it’s got lots of room for additions and experimentation. This is a bottle that will be fun to drink to the last drop and another excellent example of Gordon & MacPhail’s impeccable wood management.