.clynelish - 1997 - 2011 distillers edition

46% abv, €50, single malt

Nose: sweet, vanilla, caramel, floral, violets, fruit, apples, pears, bananas, citrus, lime
Palate: sweet, caramel, floral, violets, fruit, pears, bananas, mango, spicy, green pepper
Finish: short, sweet, toffee, floral, violets, pears, bananas
Mark: ++++/+

Conclusion: Until not so long ago I was a firm believer that you could never go wrong with a Clynelish. But - possibly because the high availability in the independent bottler's market, we recently had two bad encounters in a row.
This official bottling however is one of the good girls. I would not hesitate to buy one when I would stumble upon it. Which is very likely, although it would probably from another distilling/ bottling year. Go for it!

More info: bought in the Clynelish store when we were there in 2012, believing this would not be available anywhere else. What we know now to be very untrue... next time we will do a tour and nag for a cask sample to bring home. That would be something unavailable anywhere else.

Distilled in 1997, matured in ex-Bourbon casks and finished in Oloroso Seco ex-Sherry casks for three-six months, prior to bottling in 2011. Or, as the lady in the distillery told us "as long as it needed".

(reading it after I just jotted down the separate notes, this is ridiculously well balanced...)