Clynelish 12 Years Old Ainslie & Heilbron 57% NV

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Serge Valentin (89)

Colour: gold. Nose: a rather smoky attack, on coal again, hot bread crust and hot wax, getting then quite fruity (dried apricots) and rather minty. Something maritime in the background (sea air) and also whiffs of eucalyptus trees, resin (a walk in a pine forest). Notes of liquorice, whiffs of camphor and quite some beer (English bitter)… Really excellent, perfectly balanced, although it’s rather less waxy and oily than the old officials, which makes me think this one comes from the new distillery and not from ‘Brora’. Mouth: bold, punchy but perfectly balanced, with something rubbery at the start but also lots of wax and bunches of dried fruits and jams (apricots again, yellow plums, kumquats, citrons…) Some icing sugar that plays with the tip of your tongue… Develops on salted liquorice (Dutch, of course), cough candies, propolis chewing-gum… A nice bitterness… Notes of heavily cooked wine sauce… Extremely pleasant, and the finish is rather long and very balanced, on smoked candy sugar (!). A classic.