Review by: TOModera
So jump back to a week ago.
muaddib99 is going after the lofty goal of inviting whisky nerds from an online Scotch forum out to drink whisky, together. All of our social anxiety is maxed out. And he wants to do a group review.
Yeah, he’s crazy. And he pulls it off. We all end up at the Feathers Pub, and he and I have picked the dram. Why? Because. That’s the only reason I have.
And I’m worried. Because these are actual people. All of you reading this, or skimming it, or whatever? You’re just my mind making up new things. Or parts of the Matrix. But the people in front of me? They are people.
What if I chose wrong?
Oh well, screw it, we’re reviewing Clynelish 10 year Old Malt Cask. And if it sucks, we all know that now.
So, what can I tell you about this dram? Nothing! Seriously though, I found nothing on it. I know that when it was being barreled, I was in High School, having a sad ‘ring in the new year’ time with one friend and watching artsy films.
But maybe that’s enough preamble for today, let’s see how it tastes.
Distillery: Clynelish Distillery.
Bottler: Douglas Laing.
Region: Highland.
ABV: 50%.
Age: 10 years. Distilled June 1989. Bottled August 1999.
Cask type: Unknown.
Price: N/A.
Color: Pale Scotsman.
Nose: Graham cracker (lots of it), apricot, pineapple, caramel, a honey house (a beekeepers workplace)
For the first bit, all we could smell was Graham cracker. slackerdude mentioned it, and it was all on our minds, and that’s all we could think. Damn hive mind.
After awhile the fruit and caramel came out for me, though there’s a lot of honey in this.
Taste: Pineapple, honey, pepper, Honeycomb serial
muaddib99 is already complaining that I’ll love this one because it’s sweet. And he’s not wrong. It’s tasty. Has some unique flavours that work together. It’s a good, young whisky.
Finish: Buckwheat honey, pepper, earth, cherry peppers, cheesecake
More honey, more spice, and near the end, I start tasting the rest of the cheesecake. That may be because someone brought it up.
That said, this reminds me of honey liquor, which I love. It also reminds me of spicy vodka, which I love. I’m biased as all fuck over this one now.
Conclusion: I liked it. I know it’s not everyone’s cup of tea, so I’ll try to break it all down:
The nose is one noted. Very sweet. The taste is cereal and honey, with fruit and some burn. The finish is spiced honey and sweet. If you like sweet drams, then it’s good.
If you like smoother drams, or even less sweet, than I’d recommend avoiding it. I loved it, so it’s being bumped up, score wise.
Oh, and if you normally don’t like or do like Clynelish whisky, this is a different animal altogether.
Final Score: 80.
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 