Clynelish 23 Years Old The Nectar of the Daily Drams Cask 11244 54.8% 1995

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Serge Valentin (90)

Sourced from Signatory Vintage’s so coming with a good pedigree. But Signatory too have had quite some sherried Clynelish, so careful… Colour: deep gold. Nose: am I mollifying? This is the third rather very sherried Clynelish that I enjoy on the nose. Maybe that’s because I’m about to fly to Jerez again, where I’ll try to just plunder the best houses? (again). In this case, I’m finding the obligatory walnuts and cigar box, rather more pinesap and camphor, and rather more earth, mosses, dead leaves, and just mushrooms. I’m a fan of mushrooms, I was even about to launch mushroomfun.com, but I’m afraid some tactless Chinese friends would have stolen that name too. Or Mexicans ;-). With water: umami in full swing. I suppose you could pour this over sushi – or Belgian shrimp croquettes. Mouth (neat): that’s it, I quit, I give up, proven wrong for the third time within just a few minutes! Now this one’s leafier, a little harsher, much less toffeelike, and rather more on sour teas, rosehip or hawthorn… And leather and soy sauce. With water: copper, pipe tobacco, fino, walnuts, crème de menthe, roasted chestnuts, walnut wine, lemon juice… There’s just nothing not to like about this palate. Finish: rather long, on the same flavours, with a mentholy signature that reminds me of good thin mints (not the industrial ones that are ridden with sugar). Comments: last time a friend asked me whether you couldn’t only find flavours such as umami on the palate, and never on the nose. Nope, both work in tandem.

BOW (90)