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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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May 22, 2019 |
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A day(ish) of Clynelish, part trois |
Because you cannot have enough Clynelish, unless your doctor says so (unless your doctor is a Clynelish fan as well). First, the usual aperitif… |
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Clynelish 17 yo 1997/2014 (46%, Berry Bros. & Rudd, cask #4043) 
Colour: white wine. Nose: typical limestone, lemon skin, lemons, paraffin, cut grass, and that wee fruity touch that one can sometimes find in Clynelish and other malts - or not. Right between strawberries and raspberries. Also raw wool and rainwater. Typical so far. Mouth: just very good, only these notes of strawberry are slightly embarrassing. Toplexil, kid’s mouthwash... All the rest is perfect, from lemons to chalk and from high-paraffin candlewax to green olive brine. Finish: long, really very salty. I’m sometimes wondering if reduction does not bring salt out. No, not talking about salty waters. Comments: rather long, saltier, more on fresh bread, waxes and lemons. The strawberries are gone and we shan’t complain.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
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Clynelish 26 yo 1992/2019 (50.1%, Hidden Spirits, cask #CY9219, 193 bottles) 
In my book, these early 1990s (or late 1980s for that matter) vintages were rather less consistent, but let’s see… Colour: white wine. Nose: hell, no! It’s totally pure, brine-y, very coastal Clynelish. Wonderful notes of Swiss cheese, sour cream, well-cured cigars, miso, kelp, mutton suet, oysters… Well, you see. With water: amazing. Menthol, eucalyptus, oyster juice, camphor, seaweed, mud, rain and vase waters, sourdough, rough ale… Mouth (neat): oh get out of here but first, please call the Anti-Maltoporn Brigade. Totally huge whisky, extremely game-y, meaty in a clean way, medicinal, bandage-y… And we haven’t even talked about the waxes. Many shellfish too, oysters, whelks, clams, cockles, cuttlefish, scallops, mussels (I think that’ll do, S.) With water: by Jove! This is immense recent-period Clynelish. Stunning whisky that kills many, if not all other malts and would even make a few modern efforts look pathetically clumsy. They should study this at university! Finish: sadly. Comments: totally terrific Clynelish that nods to the 1970s or even the 1960s, but ‘hidden’, in what sense? Now believe me, this bottle will become legendary.
SGP:453 - 94 points. |
Sh*t, what we do now? Only one solution, go vertical… |
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Clynelish 1990/1998 (59%, Samaroli, barrels, casks #1015+1016, 492 bottles)
Silvano Samaroli was a man of good taste. Indeed, careful now… Colour: white wine. Nose: Silvano used to enjoy eaux-de-vie, so no wonder he selected this fairly immature, yet pristine very young Clynelish. We’re almost on Savile Row with all these whiffs of fabric, tweed, new suits… and in the Vosges or Schwarzwald mountains, with these plum spirits, kirsch, Williams pears, tiny sloes and other berries some crazy people keep distilling when the state’s not watching… And rather bold notes of fresh almonds that are leading to waxes. Some mud as well, as almost always. Love the smell of ‘clean’ mud. With water: some saccharin coming out, that’s a little odd. Plastic pouches. Mouth (neat): pungent, raw, and in truth we’re almost on Islay. Now it’s a little too strong, it’s hard to enjoy it just like that. With water: very good indeed, but perhaps not mature enough. It’s true that it’s got a death seat after the sublime Hidden one. Finish: medium, rather fruity. Some sugar again, plus a medicinal touch. Comments: at some point it started to resemble very young Ardbeg (those official series called Still Too Young, Not There Yet, About To Arrive, Leave The Key Under The Mat, etc, remember?)
SGP:552 - 85 points. |
I’m afraid the 1992 killed our little session. Unless, a last shot… |
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Clynelish 27 yo 1974/2001 (56.3%, Adelphi, cask #2565, 213 bottles)
This old bottle from when Adelphi started to work with the ophthalmology lobby, with these crazy labels that you just cannot read unless you’re really high on cocaine. Or an eagle. Colour: straw. Nose: yeah right, the seminal vintages. Astounding smoked meats and breads, dazzling honeys and pollens, old chardonnays, flabbergasting waxes, and some extreme spicy and coastal notes. Some mussel curry or something. With water: wonderful softer honeys, waxed papers, old books in an old library… All that is just wonderful and as ‘beehive-y’ as Clynelish could get in those days. Mouth (neat): huge, invading, almost aggressive, full of bitterish waxes and concentrated honeys. There’s almost something Jamaican, it is to wonder if they weren’t pushing bacterial fermentation in those days. With water: feels like home. What a distillate! But please go easy on water… Finish: long, totally beehive-y indeed. Strong mead and grass in the aftertaste. Comments: to be honest, not everyone will love this style, but I just do. Could even be kind of Freudian.
SGP:462 - 91 points. |
(Gracias Cato, Geert and Lucero) |
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