Review by: TOModera
Special thanks to ounknownto for finishing up our months long swap! In it he gave me two mystery drams, and as I’m the type of person who typically wants to do them while they’re hot (not literally, I’m not boiling my whisky), and because I had quite the productive day, and mostly because I’ve already gone WAY over my limit for the week (seriously, I need to slow down), I decided to do them last night.
And I’ll be trying to slow down, however at this rate I’ll hit 88mph and go back to the 1980s, and no one wants that.
Trust me: No one. Unless your hair is huge, you loved Reaganomics, and Cocaine seems fun, you don’t.
Moving on…
It’s mystery review time for me, where I make a fool out of myself trying my darnest to not be completely wrong. Kinda like watching a tortoise prove he can eat leaves well by climbing a tree.
Up first, we have Mystery #1. I’ll tell you what I know about it.
Distillery: Clynelish Distillery.
Bottler: Signatory Vintage.
Region: Highland.
ABV: 46%.
Age: 18 years. Distilled December 18, 1992. Bottled March 3, 2011.
Cask type: Hogsheads.
Price: N/A.
Color: Straw.
Nose: Floral, light honey, candied lemon, orange rind, grass
Smells very familiar, which at this point… tells me nothing. Shit, I’ve done too many reviews.
Alright, it has floral elements, strong acidity, and some vegetal/grass notes. There’s a little sweetness. I immediately think it’s a Lowland.
Taste: Lemon, light caramel, earth, ginger, light peanut, rose water
Taste is familiar as well. However last time I thought that I ended up throwing myself completely off on the review.
It tastes like a strong Lowland. Or it could be a Highland. I’m so lost.
Finish: Pepper, butter, herbal, earthy, lemon candy
Alright, the finish reminds me of Auchentoshan, yet again, I’m not 100% sure. There’s enough unctuousness in there that I’m a tad lost.
Conclusion: Enough guessing, what did I think of the dram?
Well, I do love Lowlands due to the floral notes as well as the candied citrus notes. Had some nice earth and ginger on the taste, and the finish was a little strong on pepper but otherwise nice to sip. It’s not too complex, not too unique, yet a nice sipper to have. I would probably order a dram of it every so often.
It almost tastes too strong to be a Lowland, however that’s my guess, be it right or probably wrong. Given the lack of complexity, I’m going to guess 10-14 years old. No sherry notes, and the butter notes make me think it’s ex-Bourbon cask.
Final Score: 79.
Guess: Auchentoshan 12
Actually: Clynelish Signatory 18 year
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 