Clynelish 15yo (59.9%, SMWS of Canada, 26.82, refill sherry butt, 571 Bts., +/-2011)

“Soft light at sunset” How can you possibly taste sunlight? It seems the SMWS tasting panel has cracked it. On the undiluted nose there is some good sherry notes with pine & pot-pourri notes and just a little closed however a little hand warming brings out some meatiness. With water it is still closed, oddly. The undiluted taste is fruity with some surprising smoke (a nice surprise) and then some dried coconut and a little dark unsweetened chocolate. With water there is some better sweetness and some card board and sand paper notes; not a lot but just enough to cause a ripple across the pond. A little sourness and some deep bitterness (oak influence). The finish is malty chewy and quite active, very lip smacking and the malt is much more evident than on the nose and the taste. After a few minutes some green malt notes comes to the fore. The finish continues to be active for quite a while. Black pepper and some smoke very far into the finish.

Curious. Mutli faceted. Perhaps Manfred Mann had it correct all those years ago.

$131

Score 81

Part three of four examining SMWS of Canada Bottlings….