Decadent Drinks presumably twice-yearly edition stops off at Clynelish for a 10 year old vatting of three 1st fill ex-bourbon barrels. The resulting quagmire of “Candlekitty” (a name which seems to now be catching on wider than just Sponge bottlings) has been bottled at 48.5% ABV and with an outturn of 762 bottles.
Nose: Peach milkshake, lemon posset and melon smoothie provide a fruity backbone, but are all kept quite ‘green’ and underripe. A selection of waxes, balms and lotions are joined by a gristy aspect – dried, flaky cereals – whilst pizza dough and shaved chocolate sit alongside gentle coastalness with sand and slate. The addition of water presents a far more mineral quality – hewn granite – alongside putties, clays and a dash of sunflower oil.
Taste: A highly textural arrival – church tapers, castor oil and faint lemon balm. Again, with the underripe fruit elements – apple slices and balled melon. Cereals run throughout – toasted grains alongside touches of chocolate-covered digestive biscuits – whilst in the background, limestone and cliff faces lurk. Reduction retains the weight of the spirit and presents a more fruit-led complexion – kiwi and lychee together with oatcakes
Finish: Relatively long with fading ‘greeness’ and residue texture notes (oils, balms and waxes).
This Sponge Clynelish makes up for its youthful incomplete fruitiness with an array of wonderful weights and densities that can be enjoyed from start to finish. I’m usually not a fan of gristy whiskies (there’s often an associated cereal sourness that just doesn’t sit well with me), but here those floury-grain notes really complement the low-key fruits and high-vis lubricants, oils and waxes which run throughout.