Up to Brora for a 10 year old Clynelish that spent its days maturing in an ex-bourbon barrel. 210 bottles were produced and you’ll still find a few at The Whisky Shop Dufftown for £85.95.
Nose: Warmed fruits – apricot and nectarine alongside a lemon posset. Sunflower oil joins Milky Bars, whilst Honey Nut Loop cereal sits with orange oils and a scattering of ginger. All very fresh. Water presents fleshy peaches and pink wafter biscuits alongside vanilla and young, sappy oak.
Taste: Tart and sharp. Green apples drizzled in grapefruit juice sit with gooseberries and pear drops. Syrupy in texture the development heads towards white pepper and split vanilla pods with licks of cask char in the back palate. The addition of water reveals a highly fruity core – peach melba with a splash of mango juice – alongside chocolate and tree bark.
Finish: Medium in length with hard candy sweetness and lingering char and pepper.
A solid young Clynelish that offers plenty of bright, fruity spirit character alongside a sympathetic 10 years of maturation. Not the most complex tool in the box, but delightful nonetheless.
However, at this juncture it’s worth pointing out that marque distillates (such as Clynelish) are increasingly commanding the silliest prices within an increasingly silly cask market. Desirability, particularly by the greedy/senseless/deluded (delete as appropriate) investment sector of the market is dramatically reducing the free circulating supply of such things, and where they are still available, everyone within the chain is wanting their 27 ounces of blood. As such, you will increasingly need to pay well over the odds to purchase and sample stuff like this. Stay tuned for a future piece on cask pricing.
Review sample provided by Watt Whisky.