Clynelish 1989 IM Chieftain's Choice

air Nose

fresh and quite clean, a little discrete at first. Hints of peat and a little pepper, then gets a little spirity and sourish (cooked green apple). Somehow ala Ardmore, or like some 1981-1983 Brora. The mouth is quite powerful at first but gets then much more balanced with some white fruit (gooseberry), some peat and some peppery notes. Very enjoyable, if not stellar. Medium to long finish. I think it might be a 1981-1983 Brora, or a Clynelish, or an Ardmore. Johannes’ answer: Clynelish 1989/2002 (46%, W&M, Bourbon Barrel) . Good, I wasn’t too far from the tracks. SV 85 , OH 87 . Blind #39 - Again, straw. Strange milky notes at first nosing. Broiled cereals, dust, cardboard, porridge, maize. Quite dry. Then it gets vegetal, and even a little sweetish after a while. Quite dull, if you ask me. The palate has a lot of (added?) caramel, and is quite grassy and spirity. The it gets really weird, with lots of cold, light coffee notes. Just between us, this one is far from being interesting, not to mention enjoyable. And I have no clue about what it is. What’s sure, is that it’s worth no more than SV 78 , OH 78 . What is it, Johannes? Oh, a Balvenie 15 yo 1985/2002 Single Barrel (50.4%, OB) . Well… Blind #40 - This one’s colour is white wine… And its nose is very spirity and very sour at first. Then it gets sour and spririty ;-) I don’t like it at all! Let’s quickly switch to the palate… Aargh, dusty, dirty… A disaster, I think, even if Olivier doesn’t quite agree with me. I think it’s full of flaws. Very rough, with perhaps a little peat but mostly some defective cask tastes. I still wonder why I gave it 70 points! (OH 79 ). But what is it? Perhaps a Ledaig? Oh, it’s a Glen Garioch 19 yo 1982/2002 (50%, DL OMC) ! Not the best cask they had, that’s for sure. But the one who’ll never fail isn’t born yet, says the poet… This Glen Garioch’s peat fooled me, that’s for sure. Blind #41 - As for its colour, back to the straw. The nose is just the same as #40’s, just quite better.