
October 23, 2018

Jazzy new Clynelish

And that would be a trio.

Clynelish 20 yo (55.9%, Artful Dodger Whisky Collective, bourbon hogshead, cask #6526)

This is a new, albeit rather Dickensian name. I mean, Artful Dodger, not Clynelish. Colour: straw. Nose: it is a vertical Clynelish, dry, mineral, paraffiny, narrow, perfect. No, no literature today. With water: ink, hessian and porridge coming out. Quintessential Clynelish nose. Mouth (neat): totally perfect and utterly typical lemony/mineral/waxy Clynelish, clean as a blade, without any wood in the way. With water: lovely touches of sweeter herbs, lime, and wulong tea. And always some citrus. Finish: long, totally clean and fresh – sadly, it’s also quite refreshing, and I know some friends who would quaff this as if it was water. Comments: nothing more to say, this is purely perfect.
SGP:452 - 90 points.

Clynelish 20 yo 1997/2018 (52.4%, ALOS, bourbon, 253 bottles)

Clynelish 20 yo 1997/2018 (52.4%, ALOS, bourbon, 253 bottles)
Monkeys and giraffes on the label, should this one be more tropical? Colour: gold. Nose: neighbouring territories, of course, although this one would be a tad shier at this point, a little greener too (kiwis, rhubarb). A little less mineral, a little grassier. A touch of pineapple, butane-2,3-diol diacetate, perhaps. Ha! With water: moss and fern, sauvignon blanc, gooseberries. Mouth (neat): excellent but rather fruitier than expected, going towards Haribo’s best. Orange bonbons and something a tad fizzy, lemon drops… And rather less wax than usual. With water: more wax this time, but it would come with some Aperol (apologies) and Schweppes. Thank God no prosecco. Finish: long, rather more coherent. But really, this has gone towards some kind of high-strength spritz. Comments: actually, it never stopped improving, after tinier beginnings.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Clynelish 22 yo 1995/2018 (55.7%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams)

Clynelish 22 yo 1995/2018 (55.7%, The Nectar of the Daily Drams)
Colour: deep gold, so in theory, more cask influence. Nose: walnuts, diesel oil, carbon paper, charcoal, leather, cured ham, brownies, raw chocolate, ink, soot, nice sulphur. Could be that there’s some sherry in there. With water: lovely pipe tobacco and ashes. One of the loveliest noses for a sherried ‘lish, in my opinion, with no clashes this time. But things may change on your palate… Mouth (neat): thick and oily arrival, with really a lot of walnut liqueur, artichoke liqueur, zucchinis, tobacco, and marmalade. Gets more citrusy after that, with a distillate that still doesn’t quite clash this time (while it did in other sherried Clynelishes, in my opinion). With water: excellent! Not only because the spirit won in the end. Excellent crystallised lemons and oranges, always with this sooty side. Graphite-y. Finish: rather long, rather more orange-y. Great that a sherried bro could be so fresh and tart in the end. Comments: a bit scary at first, but that’s because I’m usually wary of anything Clynelish+sherry. No, it’s excellent and as fresh as Clynelish should be. In my book.
SGP:551 - 88 points.

And no, we don’t have the new official Clynelish Game of Thrones, and not sure that’s a problem. Next, a Brora Walking Dead?

Check the index of all Clynelish we've tasted so far