Dominiek, the man behind The Whiskyman, has a sweet spot for Clynelish so it’s no surprise both the classic label series and the Thosop Handwritten label series simultaneously feature a Clynelish.
The handwritten Clynelish is a 1989 vintage which we’ll try head-to-head with the Clynelish 1989 by Malts of Scotland.
Clynelish 22 yo 1989 (53,5%, Thosop 2012, bourbon barrel, 138 btl.)
Clynelish 22 yo 1989 (53,5%, Thosop 2012, bourbon barrel, 138 btl.)Nose: all these 1989’s seem to share a vanilla theme and a pastry-like quality. This one is certainly the same family, with sweet gooseberries, yellow apples and warm beeswax. No strawberries or pastry though. Instead it displays more coastal notes, brine and minerals than the MoS version, as well as more ginger and seaweed.
Mouth: wow, rather perfect Clynelish style. Thick and sweet with vanilla, a little honey and candied lemon. All of this backed up by typical minerals and paraffin. A little pepper and whiffs of ginger. Developing on soft grassy notes. Great balance.
Finish: long, fully displaying its mineral side now, its trademark wax and a soft hint of peat.
Although the Malts of Scotland version had something unique (a buttery warmth and interesting jammy notes), this one is more typical with a balanced character of coastal notes and sweetness. It’s a more quintessential expression of this distillery. Dominiek and Luc sure know how to pick their Clynelish.
Around € 130.
Score: 92/100