What about some Clynelish today guys? We all need some nice drams to start this new year in good conditions, so let’s find out out what’s up with those little secrets!
Candlekitty 19yo 2000-2020 (48.5%, Whisky Sponge, Refill Hogsheads, 762 bottles)
Colour: Straw.
Nose: Quite similar to the recently reviewed Whisky-Doris one in some ways. No alcohol presence. Pastry, vanilla, honey, yellow fruits marmelade, wax and cookie dough and a big bag of fresh green apples!
Mouth: The alcohol integration is perfect and the texture pretty oily without being syrupy. The sweet notes are less noticeable here but still present with hints of pastry, vanilla and honey. The fruitiness increases gradually, starting with apple tart notes and evolving through some powerful freshly cut green apples notes adding some acidity to the mix!
Finish: Long. Lemons, candied lemon peels, rapadura and green apples.
A very nice and complex Clynelish! The profile is quite round at first but it is complex and balanced when you taste it. Very nice dram, good job to The Sponge!
Score: 90
Distilled in Sutherland 24yo 1996-2020 (47.2%, Thompson Brothers, Refill Hogshead, 300 bottles)
Colour: Gold with copper hues.
Nose: It’s quite shy but more elegant than the last one. Candle wax, almonds, marzipan, nutmegs, yellow fruits, apples and peers. Nice balance!
Mouth: The alcohol integration is perfect and the texture is oily. A big bag of ripe white and yellow fruits, a lot of waxy notes, hints of mineral note on the background adding some nice complexity to the mouth which is quite monolithic without it.
Finish: Mid-Long and dry. Exotic fruits with white pepper, melons, watermelons, pineapples adding acidity, vegetal notes, chalk and mineral notes.
There is some small flaws but honestly this is also very good. A more mineral profile in conclusion, I like it !
Score: 90
It’s two quite different profiles and to be honest I can’t find one dram superior to the other, those are both equally excellent. Furthermore, one of the thing I really appreciated today with those Secret Clynelish was the perfect alcohol integration which is not so often present with the recent releases coming from that distillery.
Those Clynelish were so good that I have to look if I can find more of those little secrets.
Tasting Bro's 