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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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October 2, 2026 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today indie Clynelish,
33 years apart |
No month without Clynelish, and this time we’re getting in early. There. |
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Clynelish 10 yo 2016/2026 (57.8%, Signatory Vintage, Cask Strength Collection, new wood hogshead, cask #307816, 279 bottles) 
The story doesn’t say whether this is US or EU oak, or even mizunara, although we may safely leave that last possibility to the dreamers. Most likely American… Colour: pale gold. Nose: this is curious, the oak immediately brings rooty, mentholated and resinous touches, but some fairly rich beer, followed by remarkably precise and studious beeswax (studious bees?) and then lemon take over. It’s rather fresh and taut so far, no lumberyard disaster in sight. With water: the bergamot literally explodes, get your Italicus Spritz ready! Mouth (neat): very powerful, very lemony, almost violent, but with the Clynelish markers clearly present in the background, thank goodness. Wax and mandarins. It’ll be fun to compare this with the 1983 that follows, which could display a similar profile, although thirty-three years ought to count for something. With water: really excellent, with more roots again, ginseng, fresh turmeric, lemon zest, light brine, white pepper. Finish: long and fresh, citrusy, saline, with a little nod to the distillery further north, in Wick. No names, naturally. Comments: in the old days it was considered that using new oak made no sense whatsoever for Scotch malt. Perhaps those were strictly economic considerations at the time… (accountants, we salute you).
SGP:461 - 88 points. |
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Clynelish 19 yo 1983/2002 (56.6%, Scotch Malt Whisky Society, #26.23) 
We adore 1983 Clynelish, not least some absolutely legendary Samarolis. We’ve also tasted several other 1983 SMWSs, some of them fabulous, but never this one. Let’s go… Colour: pale gold. Nose: the beeswax and mandarin are much more emphatic here, wonderfully concentrated and sharply defined. In fact, there’s hardly anything else, but the precision is quite sublime. Why ask for more? With water: camphor, fresh bandages, a touch of effervescent aspirin, perhaps even Berocca, then pollen and that proverbial beeswax that suddenly makes you want to go and light a candle. Purely for olfactory purposes, naturally. Mouth (neat): a gigantic arrival, all wet chalk, thick beeswax, citron and the inevitable mandarin. Huge definition and almost no unnecessary movement after that, which is exactly how we like it, save for a few increasingly saline flickers. With water: it’s not unusual for these Clynelishes to lose a little oomph once reduced, so careful with the pipette, as too much water can make them rather dry, grassy and austere. Finish: long and resolutely coastal, with more salt than expected and a lingering mixture of wax, citrus peel and chalk. Comments: oops, it shed a point or two towards the end, but this remains one hell of a beast. No more than half a drop of water, please, and preferably under supervision.
SGP:561 - 90 points. |
In any case, that 2016 SV held its own remarkably well! |
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