I've always wanted to get a Clynelish IB at a decent age for myself, but was deterred by the high prices, second only to the premium for the likes of Springbank and Macallan locally. This Gordon and Macphail single cask Clynelish popped up locally, even though it was supposed to be a Taiwan exclusive. Although expensive for the age, I was still comfortable with the premium relative to what whisky from other distilleries sold for locally.

And it was the only Clynelish with really good presentation I could afford.

Perhaps befitting of the massive Scotch enthusiast market in Taiwan, this Clynelish's presentation ticks all the boxes. It was bottled in February 2022, after 15 years in a first-fill sherry butt, with an outturn of 551 bottles at a strong 59.6% ABV. Although the type of sherry that the butt previously held was not disclosed, I'm inclined towards Oloroso based on the notes and the unusually light yellow colour of this whisky. I drammed this twice and thought it outstanding both times, before buying it for myself.

The whisky was poured neat into a Glencairn and left to air for 15 minutes. A teaspoon of water was later added.

Tasting Notes

Nose: strawberry gelato, calamansi, blackcurrant drops, sarsaparilla, Japanese Muscat grapes, rock melon, a touch of Parmesan cheese. Surprising absence of wax. Water turns up the fruitiness and dials down the cream, and introduces sweet tangerine and honey.

Palate: How the hell is this 59.6%?!?! Syrupy legs and syrupy on the tongue but with zero burn. Buffalo milk gelato, salted plum, dried apricot, watermelon, apples, sweet pickled ginger, very slight lavender right when I swallow. With water I again get tangerines.

Finish: Warming, zero dryness or burn, stays strong for a moderate length of time and the tapers to a long tail. Touch of lavender continues from the palate, very light tinge of candle wax, honeycomb, watermelon sorbet, blackcurrant candy, calamansi again. With water the finish becomes less fruity, bringing out hazelnuts, cashew butter, sake, tempura batter, peanut oil.

Wow, wow, wow. The colour looks nothing like a full maturation in a sherry butt. Strawberries are a note I tend to get in Oloroso, hence my guess, but the gelato milkiness brings this up another level. Wax-heads will need to look elsewhere as this departs from the usual Clynelish profile with a reticent waxiness that's only coaxed out in the finish. It is very tasty whisky with water, but that uncanny gelato note, right down to the slight muskiness of buffalo milk, I get drinking this neat is just much more unique.

If I had to nitpick the palate did not quite reach the heights of the nose and finish, as the notes were not as cleanly defined, cohesive, and complexity was just slightly short. Of course it is still very complex, just that the nose and finish were even better.

I think this a very good dram that just cracks 91 for me. I still think about the mindbending absence of burn - I could be easily convinced that this was a very smooth 50% ABV dram. This takes the top spot among the bottles I own, with the 13yo Glen Ord Hidden Spirits and the Glenlivet 15yo LMDW's cask pick from SV for Whisky Live Singapore following closely.

H.Y.