Clynelish 1982 (Single Malts of Scotland)

This Clynelish was distilled 15 December 1982 and bottled in September 2011 for The Whisky Show in London in the Single Malts of Scotland range.

Clynelish 28 yo 1982 (43,1%, Single Malts of Scotland 2011, hogshead #3985, 175 btl.)

Nose: delicate and mellow, even a little inexpressive at first. After a while it opens up with a juicy fruitiness (lime, yellow apple, white peach, something Albariño-esque), typical waxy notes (paraffin, lemon candles) and flinty notes in the background. Soft hints of vanilla. Faint grassy notes. Very nice but the strength makes you work harder to get the aromas.

Mouth: waxy and citrusy (grapefruit, lemon). A few mineral touches. A bit more oaky dryness now, with hints of fruit tea. It seems too delicate to completely withstand the wood.

Finish: waxy, lemony and faintly bitterish. Medium long.

Too bad this one was really soft. It’s great as long as you don’t compare it to similar Clynelish. I’ve had better ones, with just as much fruits, more punch and a better balance with the oak. Around € 110. Temporarily out of stock on the TWE website, but more is expected at the beginning of December.

Score: 89/100