Clynelish 37 Year Old (TWE 10th Anniversary)

Sukhinder Singh bottled a lot of good whiskies for the 10th anniversary of his shop The Whisky Exchange in 2009. One of those was this – already sold out – Clynelish 37 Year Old. About 200 bottles were released, acoording to Tim from TWE.

Oh, my, this is something else… It starts off very fruity with blood oranges and pear, but also some tropical fruits like pineapple, papaya and green banana. The typical waxiness is very prominent, as is the honey. Olive oil, too. And a touch of cod-liver oil (not an off note!). After a few moments, the vanilla kicks in. Softly sprinkled with pepper and cinnamon. This is a nose you want to keep smelling.

On the palate, the initial creaminess must move over for the drying wood. At this respectable age, that doesn’t come as a surprise, of course. And the whole remains very fruity. Ginger, pepper (more than on the nose) and a big swig of brine. It has something ‘old’, like I’m tasting this in the attic, while leafing through old photo albums. It’s this kind of association that make this such a wonderful dram.

The long and warm finish is quite salty. A lot of tannins on the deathbed, that leave your mouth completely dry.

This is only my 8th Clynelish so far and I’m sure there are many more gems to discover, but I think I can safely say it will be a while before I find another such beauty from this Highland distillery. Simply magnificent whisky, that enables you to pass a very enjoyable half hour. Happy dramday, TWE!

Comment on @markjedi1's review

Nose: Typical ealy 70's Clynelish and as such, stunning. Beeswax and light honey backed by orange blossom, red apple and pear. Some lovely pineapple and papaya builds alongside olive oil and vanilla with a sweetness that reminds me of Pierre Herme's macaroons of the same combination. Subtle mineraly and distinctly old fashioned highland notes of lamp oil and damp limestone alongside a little soft spice, beautiful.

Taste: Initially, sweet spices together with pineapple, orange and orchid fruit. The oak is of course more obvious now with a fair amount of ginger and soft cinnamon building. The fruit fights through however, together with some vanilla and olive oil, giving a wonderfully mature, elegant and balanced profile.

Feel: Perfect at 46% silky and rich without being cloying.

Finish: Long, the tannins building now with more ginger and some apple skin notes, a touch of brine develops in the length.

There are few things I am more excited about tasting than early 70’s Clynelish and this is a beautiful example. Being bottled at 46% it isn’t perhaps as exuberant on the palette as some, I would love to know at what strength this was prior to bottling, but it is still quite exceptional and a chance to taste a style which is fast becoming hard to find.