Clynelish 22 Year Old 1995 The Nectar of the Daily Drams

Single casks that are released by Belgian importer The Nectar can be bought blind. They release nothing but gems. This beautiful Clynelish on sherry – from the magical year 1995 – is no exception. Read on and hope you can still find a bottle.

Deep sherry on the powerful nose: raisins, plums, mildly rotting oranges, blackberries, cassis, cuberdons and strawberry jam. And all of this is underpinned by furniture polish, chewing tobacco, beef jerky and new leather saddlebags for your Harley. This is a note of struck match, but luckily it does not dominate. Wonderful, to be sure, but it has to be said: Clynelish has become totally unrecognizable because of the cask influence.

The palate leaves nothing to be desired – if you are expecting a sherry matured bomb, that is. Wonderfully spicy on nutmeg and cloves with a hint of cinnamon. Again lots of cassis and blackberries, four-fruit-marmalade, chocolate and leather. Tobacco and plums kick in midplate. Towards the end, that is overtaken by cold coffee, roasted almonds, chocolate and very drying notes from the oak. But honestly: this Clynelish remains totally incognito.

The finish is quasi long. Mostly dark and sweet fruit and nutmeg linger, but at the end of the party your mouth is completely dry.

Sure, 250 EUR is not cheap. But what a whisky! A veritable sherry bomb. But don’t forget: it’s impossible (for me at least) to recognize Clynelish in this. Who cares when it’s this good? Thx, Manny!

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