Highland

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary

/ / Highland, Review, Scottish Whisky /

Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Whisky Exchange Exclusive

51.5% ABV
$475-$500
Website
Clynelish 1995 26 Year Old 50th Anniversary Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Retailer Says

A specially selected 26-year-old Clynelish, distilled in 1995 and bottled for the 50th anniversary of The Whisky Exchange’s co-founders’ family starting in the drinks industry. This was bottled from a pair of casks – a refill sherry butt and a hogshead – and brings together the best of both of those styles of Clynelish whisky: rich and fruity, and fresh and fruity, all-wrapped in the distillery’s classic waxy character.

Tasting Notes
Nose: Toffee apples, raisin-studded shortbread and candied citrus peel at first. The fruit intensifies, backed up by gummi bears, buttered apples, white-wine-poached pears and traditional Clynelish waxed-jacket notes. Hints of sweet butter poke out in between the fruit, with milk and white chocolate hiding behind.
Palate: Royal icing and sugar-coated almonds fade beneath mint fondant and the fruit from the nose – fresh orchard fruit, gummi sweets, zingy citrus and some sweet pineapple. Gently drying apple skin notes develop alongside a touch of menthol.
Finish: Mint and green grass are joined by milk chocolate. Green apples linger.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Rich but delicate, fruity with pears, apples and apricots, heather, pineapple, mango, tahini and melted wax.
Palate:  Thick and cream mouthfeel, waxy with fruit notes before a sharp bit of pepper spice, lemon and pinepple.
Finish:  Moderately long and syrupy with fruit salad, sandalwood and tahini.
Comments:  Classic Clynelish waxy notes. As with many mature whiskies, this benefits from time in the glass (some say a minute for every year; I’m not that patient but a good 10-12 minutes definitely made a difference). A very nice dram to sit back and sip on. While I enjoyed it, the nose advertised a complexity and nuance that I didn’t get on the palate (although could just be me). The palate turned sharp before all of the fruit notes stepped forward, although the tahini note is one I don’t come across often and I did enjoy here.

Rating: Stands Out

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Glenturret 25 Year Old

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Glenturret 25 Year Old
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

40% ABV
$???
Glenturret 25 year Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Website

What the Distillery Says

Nothing . . . at least about this one. Let me explain.

Glenturret began releasing a 25 Year Old at different ABVs, beginning in 2020.
Researching their website from 10 years back, they list a 26 year old product. But at some point prior to (or in) 2015, they offered THIS version of the 25 year old, which is bottled at 40% ABV. Richard bought a bottle for Matt for a special occasion, as Matt is a big fan of Glenturret. Despite my best efforts, I could turn up no additional information – sorry!

What Gary Says

Nose: Bright and fruity, nectarines, grapes, cherries with floral notes.
Palate: Round mouthfeel, sweet and fruity, citrusy with nectarines, tangelos, apples and pears with a bit of vanilla and honey.
Finish: Moderate in length, damp with pears and peaches.
Comments: This is very light in color, and while not objectionable – not very special. I’ve only had one Glenturrent before (a 28 yr old from K&L) that was just marvelous. At $100, it was extraordinary. This didn’t remind me of that in any way/shape/form, which was a disappointment. This actually reminded me more of a cognac with the floral notes on the nose. Not sure what the cask type was (likely bourbon casks) but was not a fan. Sorry Matt. Hope you enjoyed it more than I did!

Rating: Average

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Edradour 12 Year 2009 Cask Strength

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Edradour 12 Year 2009 Cask Strength
Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

55.1% ABV
$130-150
Website
Edradour 2009 12 yr Cask Strength Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

(from the bottle)
Natural Cask Strength
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Sherry Cask Matured
Aged 12 Years
Distilled on: 9th December 2009
Bottled on: 28th February 2022
Cask Number 393
Outturn 545 bottles

What Gary Says

Nose:  Sherry BOMB, raisins, dates, cherries, fudge, molasses, balsamic, cinnamon, sulfur, spent matches and charred oak.
Palate:  Rich, savory oak, dark fruit notes with raisins, plums, dates, orange, brown sugar, hone and chocolate fudge.
Finish:  Long, drying with chocolate, smoke and oak.
Comments:  This is REALLY DARK in the glass, somewhere between Coca Cola and coffee. Clouds up beautifully with a bit of water. I haven’t had much experience with Edradour previously but this is just outstanding! A bit of water tamps some of that sulfury note and thickens up the mouthfeel even more. If you don’t like that sulfury note (which honestly, if someone had asked me before I’d have said I’m not particularly a fan of that), try it anyways. There’s so much more going on. This is an intense dram, and my only regret is not buying a bottle (but this is going on my ‘auction watch list’).

Rating: Must Try/Must Buy

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Oban 18 Year Old Single Malt

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Oban 18 Year Old
West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey

43% ABV
$120-$140
Website
Oban 18 Year Old West Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

What the Distillery Says

An elegantly matured single malt that balances opulent fruit flavours with rich peat smoke and spicy wood, culminating in a long, smooth, finish.

PALATE: Mouth-filling sweetness tempered with smoked malt dryness.
SCENT: Peat smoke and spicy wood with notes of ripe banana, pear, and plum.
FINISH: Long and sweet. Hints of dark chocolate and salted caramel.
BODY: Medium bodied and rich with good legs.

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit salad with poached pears, apples, apricots, nectarines, heather, wisp of earthiness, sandalwood and leather.
Palate:  Sweet entry with fruit notes, honey, nutmeg, cinnamon, pepper spice followed by peat and soft oak.
Finish:  Moderately long and drying with peat, dried fruit and pepper.
Comments:  A very nice and enjoyable pour! Fruity, balanced with a bit more peat on the palate than on the nose. At $120 locally, a quite reasonably priced aged single malt although not sure I’d spend a lot more than that. Water thickens it a bit and tamps some of the pepper spice edge.

Rating: Stands Out

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Compass Box Myths & Legends I

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Compass Box Myths & Legends I
Single Malt Scotch Whisky

46% ABV
$150
Website
Compass Box Myths and Legends I

What the Blender Says

Scotch whisky has a rich array of stories, myths and legends.

However, what start as myths can become received wisdom, influencing our understanding and restricting our enjoyment. We have deployed blending to challenge assumptions, biases and prejudices concerning Scotch in this limited edition series we call Myths & Legends.

It may surprise some, but blending is as crucial to the creation of single malts as it is to blended whisky. Myths & Legends I highlights the extent to which individual casks are often unreliable authorities for the style of whisky made at a distillery; it is by blending casks together that a fuller picture of distillery character can emerge.

Two parcels of malt whisky from the same Northern Highland distillery tasted markedly different: the younger parcel was malty and citrusy, the older one much creamier with a ripe fruit character. Two distinct personalities but from the one distillery.

By combining these two parcels we have created a whisky full of fragrance with a more rounded complexity, one that provides a richer understanding of what this distillery can produce.

FLAVOUR PROFILE: A malty and creamy character develops into notes of ripe orchard fruits and delicate oak.

SERVING RECOMMENDATIONS: This whisky is delicious neat, as an aperitif. Adding a splash of water will reveal more of its bright and delicate character.

Not Chill-Filtered, Light 5 Micron Filtration | Natural Colour | Lead Whiskymakers: Jill Boyd and James Saxon | A limited edition of 4,394 bottles | July 2019

What Gary Says

Nose:  Fruit notes of pears, peaches, fresh apples, floral notes of honeysuckle with a hint of lavender.
Palate:  Creamy mouthfeel with pears, nutmeg, malt, peaches in cream, kiwi.
Finish:  Long and gentle with dried fruit and nutmeg.
Comments:  A delightful dram – fruity, nuanced, gentle.  I’m not sure if I’d had anything from Balblair distillery before (from where this came, with one parcel aged for 15-16 years in recharred American oak and the second aged for 22 years in first fill bourbon barrels).  But this would certainly leave me willing to try it blind.  The first of three in the Myths & Legends series is starting off strong!

Rating: Stands Out/Must Try

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