Royal Salute Stone of Destiny, 38 year old

The last new Chivas release was the 25 year old several years back. To be honest, I didn’t like it as much as Chivas 18 year old. Those extra years contributed an additional dry oak influence which I felt was a bit too dominant—especially on the finish. So you can imagine my concerns before tasting this 38 year old whisky. But this new Royal Salute has something to balance the dry oak that the 25 year old didn’t—lush, rich, sweet sherry notes. It’s quite fruity, with toffee apple, date nut cake, fig, molasses, and golden raisin up front, evolving to dried fruit, pencil shavings, tobacco, and polished leather, with subtle cinnamon and cocoa on the finish. My favorite of the entire Chivas line is the 18 year old (which I rated a 95) for its impeccable balance, but this is still a very impressive whisky!