Today is International Whisky Day, in memory of the great Micheal Jackson. Serge celebrates with seven Macallans between 1940 and 1958; can we evade a challenge? Yes, definitely, because we’d obviously lose; so let’s go on with our samples, and let’s taste a young Clynelish bottled by Hart Brothers for Tre Archi, an Italian distributor from Novara. Distilled in 1998 and matured for twelve years in barrel #16357, this Clynelish is reduced to 46% and – to our taste – has a very nice label. We thank the always very kind Pino Perrone, passionate manager of the Emporio del Gusto in Rome and among the organizers of Spirit of Scotland whisky festival.
N: in addition to notes of wax and brine (‘mineral’ characters typical of the distillery), there is immediately a very light note of stock which is very surprising, but – it must be said – it vanishes after a few moments; did we dream about it? Good impact, with a delicate and delicious ‘sweetness’: lemon juice, vanilla, pannacotta… Then, almond paste and fruity notes (white grapes, banana in the background). You can smell the aroma of malt, as well as a vegetable touch (fresh grass, but also aniseed) that seems to further reveal the young age and the ‘cleanliness’ of an uninvasive maturation. Simple but fresh and pleasant. After a while, it seems to detect even a very slight smoke.
P: wax, wax, wax! Very oily, in constant dialogue with a very intense creamy sweetness. Peculiar, it seems to explode into yellow fruit and vanilla, but then it remains as tamed, dominated by delicious notes of marzipan and especially green apple; still the raw material takes its space, with traces of barley that slowly reveal slightly bitter and still ‘vegetable’ notes.
F: bitter, vegetable, not very long but really very clean; a light smoky note stands out and, above all, a splendid note of apple juice which reveals itself to be very persistent.
A young Clynelish respected by the cask, this is the synthesis: it is certainly not very complex, but the young age is not drowned by the cask, which indeed seems very discreet and keeps the distillate ‘naked’, making it very interesting. Didactic, in a way, and to those who adore Clynelish – we have already told you that we… yes, we have already told you – will certainly like it: and in fact, we like it, and the game of votes closes on 84/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Aloe Blacc, with a cover of Femme Fatale by Velvet Underground.
