A few cutting-edge Clynelish


April 19, 2023

A few cutting-edge Clynelish

Ha! Always a pleasure and a joy, even if there are more and more undisclosed or 'secret' ones around, which I find deplorable. Anyway, we'll first try the older ones, since they're lighter in alcohol. (WF Archive)

Clynelish 32 yo 1989/2022 (44.2%, Blackadder, Statement, Edition No. 50, for Liquorfang Taiwan, barrel, cask #6093, 162 bottles)

We've tried some sister casks while those were still young, like a very good cask #6088 bottled at 13 or 14 years of age. But they were still 'young' when I tried those, in… 2006. Colour: light gold. Nose: the late 1980s are not quite part of the most famous vintages of Clynelish, but this time I doubt you could find more beeswax and warm pinewood anywhere else. Neither would you detect this much soft citrus (think pomelos, tangerine), then stewed rhubarb, or this perfect wonderful chalk/raw wool combination. A part reminds of some very chalky champagnes, minus the wee bubbles, naturally. Pure Clynelishness. Mouth: 30+ is such a perfect age. There's some tannicity for sure, but it's a greener kind that would rather remind us of some lovely apple peel and of high-end green tea, or Wulong as well. Behind that, all citrus you could think of plus the trademark waxiness, once again rather around beeswax than towards 'artificial' candles, paraffin or else. Amazing zesty development then, on grated grapefruit peel, yuzu and so on. Faultless, while strength and body are Picture-perfect. Finish: a tighter, much more citrusy Clynelish than usual in the end. Comments: it is almost acidic at times, in the style of a tart, bone-dry chenin blanc. I cannot think of any other active Distillery that would produce this style, perhaps will the new Rosebank do it?
SGP:671 - 90 points.

Probably only a variant…

Clynelish 31 yo 1989/2021 (45%, Blackadder, Statement, Edition No. 44, for Liquorfang Taiwan, barrel, cask #6095, 185 bottles)

Colour: light gold. Nose: exactly, it is very similar, only a notch rounder and more honeyed, with added touches of camphor, as if this barrel had been a tiny tad more active. All in all, this one's just as awesome as its sister. They're almost twins. Mouth: it is almost a little fizzy at first, very much of lemons and grapefruits, then expectedly waxy and rather honeyed. Sublime waxiness, tangerines, chalk, Szechuan pepper, this green tannicity (green pepper, green tea, ginger tonic)… Finish: this is where this one overtakes its twin. Long finish, with some sultanas and mangos in the aftertaste. A tad less folksy, would we say. Comments: totally and plainly exceptional. I'm glad to see these vintages reach full and entire maturity.
SGP:661 - 91 points.

A younger, yet perhaps more famous vintage of Clynelish now, including some heavier sherry, as it seems. Remember that in my view, sherry or other such flavourings, or however you call that, make wonders with moderately expressive distillates, such as, for example, most Speysiders or 'whiskies of the world', but may clash with more potent ones, especially the peaters or the waxies. So, let's see…

Clynelish 25 yo 1996/2022 (52.3%, Signatory Vintage, Kirsch Import, sherry butt, cask #11382, 473 bottles)

You can hardly see through this wee Clynelish mind you! Quite… Colour: office coffee (at the NYPD in 1980s movies, Pacino et al) Nose: chocolate all over the place, plus damp garden peat, beef jerky, linoleum, fumes, castor oil and soy sauce, plus whiffs of truffles (perhaps rather white ones from Alba). Also Nescafé and mushrooms (oyster mushrooms, porcinis). The chocolate remains in the front seat all along. With water: more classic old wood style, first rainwater, amontillado… Mouth (neat): one of the meatiest and earthiest sherried Clynelishes I've tried. Well one of the meatiest and earthiest sherried malt whiskies globally. Some very extreme vegetal tar, very heavy salty liquorice, roasted raw chocolate beans, hoisin sauce, rubber, cardamom and capsicum aplenty, clove, tobacco… With water: it relaxes and would display more dried fruits, fruitcake, pumpernickel, now truffles and salted liquorice have not given up. Neither did coffee-flavoured dark chocolate and our dear hoisin sauce. Bring on the Peking duck! Finish: long, very chocolaty and salty. Chocolate and salt is a tricky combination, unless you're Mexican (ha). Very peppery aftertaste. Comments: rather what I was expecting, such a heavy sherry can overwhelm even the fatter spirits, now I haven't found any dissonances or excessive leather or cabbage. So it's an excellent one, what's more you could also easily use it instead of… tabasco.
SGP:372 - 88 points.

Since we were at Signatory's and in 1996…

Clynelish 18 yo 1996/2015 (54.4%, Signatory Vintage, refill sherry butt, cask #6516, 505 bottles)

Signatory have had loads of Clynelishes (oh those 1965!) including a lot of 1996 indeed, with emphasis on sherry. Colour: apricot gold. Nose: obviously more 'Clynelish', but also with more twists and turns, slight dissonances, wee fights and friendly teases. For example, there is a little rubber that would fight the mirabelle jam and the waxy honeys, but indeed it remains an exhibition game, so to speak. All rather gentle. First and foremost, the Clynelish character remains rather obvious. Some flints too. With water: a little leather coming out. Not too sure it's a great swimmer. Mouth (neat): the sherry's remained rather active, in this case full of walnuts, adding a little mustard that would make you think of some dry 'cooking' Madeira. With water: walnut wine, a little leather again, some bitter tobacco (all tobaccos are bitter, aren't they) and a pinch of salt. Finish: rather long, a tad bitter, on leather, walnuts and bitter marmalade. Dark chocolate in the aftertaste. Comments: very, very good, just not exactly my favourite style of Clynelish (see the Blackadders!)
SGP:371 - 84 points.

A last one (five make for a good session)…

Secret Highland Distillery 9 yo 2013/2022 (52.5%, Sansibar, Finest Whisky Berlin, hogshead, 412 bottles)

It doesn't say it is Clynelish, but at least, the drawing on the label tells us that this should not be Glenmorangie. Colour: white wine. Nose: pure and crystalline, on paraffin, new wool, lamp petroleum, medicinal alcohol, crushed slate and the tightest cider apple. Totally immaculate, almost strident. With water: wool chalk porridge and sourdough. No quibbling. Mouth (neat): superlatively waxy and petroly, you would almost believe the hogshead used to contain some previous peater belonging to the same cartel, either from Skye or from Islay. Extraordinary salty blast, plus lemons, plus granny smith, plus paraffin and plasticine. With water: superbly grassy, bitter, and yet fruity around the edges. I adore this fermentary side that coats it all, I'm wondering if you couldn't add some wash residues to your new make, keep it for years and then gently re-filter in some kind of way. Well, probably not. Finish: long, clean and with even touches of brine and… green olives. Green olives stop wars! (if only…) Comments: incomparable make. Mind you, only 9. To cellar for twenty or thirty years or more. What's more, I'm extremely pleased to notice that very recent vintages are of dazzling quality. Not everything is lost in this fake 'tech' world (guilty as charged).
SGP:562 - 89 points.

(Thank you Morten, thank you Ryan!)

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