
September 19, 2018

Little Duets, today Clynelish

You may have noticed that I love Clynelish, but sadly there aren’t many new old ones around. Even Diageo do not seem to have any amongst this year’s Special Releases (there seem to be some very loco-loco new Game of Thrones Edition somewhere, but wondering whether it’s not some kind of fake…) But there, G&M have a new 1989, although I’m not sure that’s the distillery’s best period, wasn’t that when they had changed that famous receiver? Or when they had cleaned it? Let’s see…

Clynelish 28 yo 1989/2018 (49.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, refill American hogshead, cask #8204, 221 bottles)

Clynelish 28 yo 1989/2018 (49.3%, Gordon & MacPhail, Connoisseurs Choice, refill American hogshead, cask #8204, 221 bottles)
Indeed, let’s see if we find some wax in this baby… In other words, let’s check if it’s well a sludge-y one… Colour: straw. Nose: strange. It’s rather dirty, slightly sulphury (we’re not talking cask sulphur), on gravel, ink, carbon paper, leatherette, brake fluid, plasticine, new record (vinyl), pine needles and cones… I seek in vain, I do not find any fruits, and neither do I find any beeswax. Let’s call this a deviant nose. Mouth: a total relief, this is much nicer, even if we’re very far from the early 1970s, early 1980s, or mid 1990s Clynelishes. Lime juice, soot, charcoal, lees, perhaps capers or something, sour cream, a wee touch of balsamic vinegar… It really is an unusual Clynelish, but 1989’s also an uncommon vintage. Finish: rather long but a tad dirty, sour, acidic… And buttery. Green pepper and lime in the aftertaste. Comments: well in truth, this one’s rather at the higher end of those ‘off’ vintages. Some 1989s have been much worse in my book (75 points - like). Still a bottling for Clynelish exegetes, I would say. And G&M’s latest 2005 was much ‘higher’ in my book.
SGP:461 - 80 points.

While we’re having strange Clynelishes, let’s move one year forward…

Clynelish 17 yo 1990/2008 (46%, Dun Bheagan, butt, cask #13149, 750 bottles)

It’s not that the 1990 vintage was any strange, it’s that Clynelish and sherry often clash in my opinion, let’s see… Colour: gold. Nose: yeah, spent matches, gravel, soot, saltpetre, roasted chestnuts, cigar ashes, guns, barbecued pine cones, plasticine, mutton suet… Ho ho ho… Mouth: bizarre indeed… You could actually enjoy this, but let’s face it, it’s very sooty, bitter, oddly medicinal (camphor and tar?) and simply rather dirty. Now I’m sure you could intellectualise it, I’m just not in the mood right now. Or not smart enough. Finish: rather long, and oddly fermentary. Comments: looks like someone’s poured a few bottles of tequila into the butt. But sure you could down one bottle and then find the malt superb!
SGP:362 - 79 points.

I promise we’ll go back to more common vintages next time ;-)…

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