A drink fit for the gods

Ever since my first trip to Scotland at the tender age of 17, I have had a weakness for the golden drops of the water of life, or whisky if you like. Since then I have tried to taste as many as possible - not just the socttish ones, but Australian, French, Japanese, Swedish and countless others. And one dark and dreary night I suddenly realized that other whisky afficionados might benefit, if not from my wisdom, then at least from my tasting - so here goes. Dewar Rattray Cask Collection Sherry Cask no. 1143 - 573 bottles 17 years single malt, distilled April 30. 1990 Balblair Distillery, Cask Strenght, bottled November 20. 2007 Un-chill filtered 62,4% Now this is a good and potent dram! I am quite certain you could run a starship on this. The colour is a beatiful amber - enough to bring tears to the eyes of any Scotsman. I've tried it with and without water, but in both cases it is a whisky to be treated with some care. Without water it has a rather weak sherry-like aroma with hints of caramel. The taste is powerful and warming, and the finish goes on for hours. It is actually so strong you can hardly taste it, but there is definitely some sherry and caramel and a touch of TNT. If you add some water things starts to calm down, and suddenly a Spanish citrus grove starts to make its presence felt. Here be lemons and oranges - and perhaps some abricots somewhere in the background - something sweet anyway, dates perhaps. It is still powerful, but its quite an experience because you can now really appreaciate the very complex taste. When your tastebuds have gathered themselves from the initial chock you start to register melons and more caramel and a faint touch of licorice, like someone has just carried an open tin of licorice through your living-room and past your chair. The fire is out though, there is no trace of smoke anywhere. All in all a great and powerful whisky with an interesting and complex taste - but almost to powerful to handle. Don't start your friends off on this one, if they are new to whisky. It will knock them out of their seats. Keep it for a couple of years, and then bring it out on a chilly autumn evening after af brisk walk in the woods. Then it will be priceless!