Clynelish 1972 / 35 Year Old

N: Beautiful cooked blackberry and apple aromas, as with previous bottlings. Also plenty of spice (cinnamon, clove, dried ginger etc).  Pastry, mincemeat, shortbread, pie crusts - this is just a sensational nose.

P:   Big spicy hit, then the flavours from the nose emerge - apples, blackberry pie, honey, and still the lovely dusty, peppery, oaky spices. 

Finish:  Spices. Oak. Spicy oak. White pepper, some chilli heat.  Oaky spiced fruit in a pie from the oven. Even hints of the vanilla ice cream with which to accompany it.

Comment:  The only bad thing I can think of to say is that at the time of writing (Summer 2008), this whisky is slightly out of season - this is an autumnal dram, perfect to sit by the fire with after a hard Sunday picking blackberries.  However, this being London the weather is suitably inclement.  A magnificent old-style Highland whisky from one of our very favourite distilleries. 

  From a hogshead. We loved a sister cask bottled last year (91) so we have deep hopes here. Colour: pale gold.

Nose: yes. The expected winning combo of beeswax and dried/fresh fruits. Ripe pears, plums, blood oranges (really, and there are loads of them)… And more blood oranges and pink grapefruits. Orange squash. Hints of nutmeg and ginger as well (and ginger tonic), most probably from the wood.  With water: even fruitier. Orange blossom water and strawberry jam. Lychee liqueur and fresh mint. Almost extravagant.

Mouth (neat): an avalanche of fruity and waxy notes. At random: oranges (just any kind), grapefruits (ditto), quinces, dried ginger, fir honey, nougat… Quite some oak in the background (green tannins – okay here.) Faint hints of wasabi and quite some pepper. Paprika. With water: keeps developing but doesn’t change directions. Dates and figs, a little salt, cardamom, green pepper…

Finish: rather long, more on waxy spices – or spicy wax – and a little mustard.

Comments: almost all 1972 Clynelishes – and Broras of course - are great whiskies and this is no exception. Extremely typical. SGP:642 – 91 points.