Review by: The Muskox

Here’s another vintage whisky that my friend and I tried on our visit to the world’s most magical whisky bar. This was poured before the Glen Mhor I reviewed the other day. I’ve had a run of good luck with some of these 90s-bottled Cooper’s Choices, so we figured this one was worth a shot.

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Distillery: Clynelish.

Bottler: Cooper’s Choice.

Region: Highlands.

ABV: 43%.

Age: 12 years. Distilled in 1983. Bottled in 1996.

Cask type: “Oak cask” (unknown)

Price: N/A. $18 for a pour at the bar.

Color: Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Gentle and fruity. Canned pineapple slices for days, along with some banana, muscat, and coconut. Runny honey and white flowers. Some delicate malty notes and almonds. There’s a pleasant green character reminiscent of ivy of all things, as well as a hint of leather.

Palate: Very oily texture. Slow flavour deliver at first, with buttercream, some powdered sugar, banana peel, plums, and a less-sweet pineapple note than what was on the nose. Maybe a tiny hint of wax as it develops. It gets earthier, with hay and old paving stones. A little white chocolate.

A few drops of water brings out more floral flavours and sweeter pineapple.

Finish: Medium-short, with lingering sweetness. Peach skins, banana smoothie, waxed limes. Chalky, both in flavour and texture.

Water brought a bit of a old-papery note.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Smithsonian fruit cup gallery”

Conclusion: A nice whisky, but falling a bit short of my expectations. I love the gentle tropical fruit, oily texture, and subtle complexity, but it’s missing the waxy character I wanted (which is hit and miss in Clynelish of this era) and the finish is a little on the short side. This was a great intro dram for the night, but on the whisky menu at this place, it’s not even the best option for cheap indie 80’s Clynelish.

Final Score: 83.

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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.