Clynelish 8 Year (SMWS 26.137 "Chasing Chameleons")

 

There is something really fun and engaging about young Clynelish. I've heard the older version of Clynelish can be sublime, or near perfection - but I've never had it. Instead I've had plenty of bottles like this one, a young 8 year independent bottling from the Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS"), nicknamed Chasing Chameleons. 

Rather uncommonly sorted into SMWS's "Spicy and Dry" category, here are the official notes:

The nose started light with notes of white pepper, pickled ginger and wasabi that merged into sweet floral aromas of honeysuckle and roses. Barley fields and balsa wood introduced a prickly palate that embraced green notes of apples, lime and lavender oil before richer notes of espresso and dark chocolate emerged. Colours changed dramatically with water as we discovered bruised bananas, mangoes and coconut milk in a tropical smoothie. Soft notes of apple blossom and ripe honeydew melon combined with wild strawberries whereas on the palate we found lots of new wood, cinnamon and green tea providing a delightfully rounded tannic mouthfeel.

Interesting - and enticing. Bottled at cask strength (58.6%), let's just dive right into this youthful Highland: 

Nose: Lemon wax candy - like lemon Starburst or Skittles. Soft malt and hay. Ginger and vanilla candy. Some oak and a floral halo. I get why they put this into Spicy and Dry: it's less intense candy than other bottles, with more of an astringent woody/earthy quality about it. More hay and pepper than straight up lemon Starburst. 

With a touch of water: Weirdly, it smells ... older. Water rounds out the harder edges here, but I don't necessarily get any new flavors (or any less of the old ones). High-proof farm-made limoncello is the overall impression. 

Mouthfeel: Very silky and smooth, body on the lighter side. 

Palate: This is VERY typical young Clynelish - and how I'd missed it! Effervescent, lemon candy, waxy, ginger and pepper, wasabi, flowers, citrus peel. Bitter espresso beans. 

With water: Ah... very nice. There's the chocolate and coffee mentioned in the official notes! Also the coconut milk and general "tropicality." Water also improves the mouthfeel, which becomes fuller and richer. 

Finish: Wood, wax, lemon peel, salt, bitter lavender. 

Verdict: A very nice young Clynelish, it has a lot going on just on the neck pour. I'm very curious how this will taste deep in the bottle! As it stands it's a woody, waxy, lemony-tropical, earthy Highland dram that really pulls a lot of things together in a nice way. I'm a fan.