Granville, you say? Indeed a growing number of distilleries are preventing independent bottlers to put the actual name on the label. All these recent ‘Orkney’ bottlings are a good example and apparently this cannot be disclosed either. However the fact that the old Clynelish distillery was founded by George Granville Levison should give us a clue.
It’s 22 years old bottling by Maltbarn.
Granville 22 yo 1996 (51,9%, Maltbarn 2019, sherry cask, 177 btl.)
Granville 22 yo 1996 (51,9%, Maltbarn 2019, sherry cask, 177 btl.)Nose: nice juicy sherry, and I’m pleased to see that the original grassy and waxy Clynelish character is still loud and clear. Red apples, blood oranges and marmalade, apricots and fresh figs. Light herbs and dried flowers. Whiffs of tobacco and dunnage warehouses.
Mouth: candied orange peels, ginger, hints of chocolate. Plenty of nutty notes and a good dose of peppery oak. Feels less refill now. Light waxy notes. Toasted notes towards the end.
Finish: rather long, on citrus peel, herbal tea, peppermint and all-spice.
Clynelish and sherry are not always in tune, but here it works well, it might have been a refill cask or maybe one of these re-charred casks. Originally around € 180, but sold out in most places.
Score: 88/100