Which Clynelish?

[Bulkington]

I quite liked Clynelish 14 when I went through a bottle of it around a year ago. Thinking of getting another, but I see that Park Ave. Liquor has a 12 yo G&M bottling (1989) for roughly the same price. Should I take a chance on the indie? They have the Mission III and Mission IV bottlings, too, but those are outside of my price range unless someone can convince me why I should spring for the Mission III (20 yo, 1983) over the distillery or G&M bottlings.

Thanks in advance

[BruceCrichton]

I would get the official bottling.

I wouldn't like to try the G&M bottling. I've had some seriously dodgy stuff from them in the past and their old bottlings should be approached with caution.

[les taylor]

I agree with Bruce especially when the OB 14 is so good anyway.

[Drrich1965]

My long and winding notes.....

Score 82 Clynlelish 28yo 1976 (46%, Murray McDavid Misson, Bottle 588/600) August 6, 2006, Preliminary score is an 85. Since this is my 2006 B-day bottle, I will have much more time with it to give it a proper tasting. The nose and mouth are fairly similar, the wood dominates at first, with spicy notes developing. Not as complex as some of the best Clynelish, but on first tasting big and elegant. My initial sense is that this is one that would have been better several years ago, before the wood became as prominent. Still, enjoyable and a good malt to have on my 41st B day weekend, and for sharing with some house guests we will have over the next week. On second tasting, I think I will keep the same score. The nose is wonderful, satisfying. The mouth is nice, but somehow it does not seem as well integrated as I would like. That is, the flavors seem separate; first wood, than pepper, than....but not together. A very good dram, but a tad disappointing (high expectations). A subsequent tasting a few weeks later, the same impressions, save for the big sherry influence on the nose and the end of the mouth, right before the finish. This does add some complexity, but the flavors are not as integrated as they are in other old Clynelish, where you get a sense of the whole band as well as the instruments. Here, the group is not great, only good players, sort of like a 1970s super group Yeah, you like it, and maybe a bit more than you want to admit, but there is something not quiet right. Score still 83, although that might even be high. Oh, the nose still is fantastic. After the tasting I did last night, I am marking this down to and 80. And that is the straight score, certainly not bang for your buck. In truth, the malt is just too dominated by wood to be considered very strong. I think this is one that I want to enjoy more than I really do. November 8, 2006. Maybe about a quarter of the bottle left; time to finish it off or send to friends. It still seems about the same; the nose really is wonderful, but it really is very complex, with a lot going on, but as I said before, not well integrated or balanced. It a single malt scotch where the word malt would not be mentioned, and I realize that is an issue for me.

[Frodo]

I agree 100% with Bruce and Les. Buying any G&M bottling without tasting it first is something I'd approach with trepidation. Why take the chance when the OB is as good as it is?

[Deactivated Member]

Because I've had the OB, and good as it is, I want to try different things! Yes, even if they aren't as good. Come on, guys, where's your sense of adventure? Some of you people are just amazingly timid. "Oh no, Mr Tattie Heid, I can't buy that! I'm afraid!" [Channeling Belushi in Animal House.] Take a chance! Live a little! There are many worse things in life than getting stuck with the occasional crap bottle.

[Frodo]

Unfortunatly I've had more than the occasional crap bottle from G&M so my skeptisim with them remain. If it was an OMC bottling however...

[killerwhale]

Frodo makes a good point but I'm with Mr.T. here..... go for it and don't look back. Experience is all that matters in life, chuck trepidation, on your deathbed the worst that can happen is you'll have a laugh.

[BruceCrichton]

Because I've had the OB, and good as it is, I want to try different things! Yes, even if they aren't as good. Come on, guys, where's your sense of adventure? Some of you people are just amazingly timid. "Oh no, Mr Tattie Heid, I can't buy that! I'm afraid!" [Channeling Belushi in Animal House.] Take a chance! Live a little! There are many worse things in life than getting stuck with the occasional crap bottle.

Have you ever had a G&M Clynelish that tasted of dodgy bubble gum and made you screw up your face?

I have and, once you have tasted it, you are never cavalier about the possibility of it happening again.

[les taylor]

Because I've had the OB, and good as it is, I want to try different things! Yes, even if they aren't as good. Come on, guys, where's your sense of adventure? Some of you people are just amazingly timid. "Oh no, Mr Tattie Heid, I can't buy that! I'm afraid!" [Channeling Belushi in Animal House.] Take a chance! Live a little! There are many worse things in life than getting stuck with the occasional crap bottle.

Mr T I think you are absolutely wrong. When you think you'll probably going to get a crap bottle. Because your experience in the past is that is what you have had in the past. Why repeat the bad mistake? I agree with living a little. Thats why when it's an independent bottling I need to taste it before I buy it. Come on Mr Tattie Heid you know that makes sense.
Save the trying of different things for when it's worthwhile. Also you would not want to give duff advice to Mr Bulkington.

[Scotchio]

Personally I try to avoid repeat bottlings unless there's a few years between them but i sympathize with the point that you dont want to waste your cash on something substandard. I tried to dig out some info on it and I found that one opf the malt maciacs rated the GM Clynelish 89 12yr 57.1% refill sherry bottling at 90pts. This is a guy who has tried a number of Clynelish' and hasn't rated any above 90pts so if it is that bottling i'd go for it.
If, on the other hand it's a CC bottle I'd think twice. There are some excellent Clynelish's from indis available in Europe. I've had an excellent Mckillops bottling recently which unfortunately has been superceeded now.
If you want to try something different I may be able to get hold of a bottling by Tanner's in Hereford which Murray rated at 90pts but by the time you've paid for P and P it would probably come in at around £35-£40. The offers there if you think it's worthwhile.

[Deactivated Member]

Yeah, you guys are right, especially re G&M, but honestly, it seems like so many people here are afraid to step out on a limb. I'm just being argumentative. As far as I'm concerned, even a crap bottle is educational, and I've had more than one bottle that didn't tickle me at first, but grew on me. A taste before buying will fail you there.

I realize fully that many cannot afford the tuition at the school of trial and error.

My fellow Bruce, I have tasted bubblegum in a Clynelish--it's not necessarily bad.

[Lawrence]

As far as I'm concerned, even a crap bottle is educational

I've found that also, although I tend to try and not to make a habit of buying crap bottles. (I'm not saying anybody does).

[Frodo]

I realize fully that many cannot afford the tuition at the school of trial and error.

I think that's a central point. Given my dearth of spending money I just can't afford to buy duff bottlings on the chance they might be good. I read a poster once who said something along the lines of "I paid $100 and I didn't like it - oh well". This I can't afford.

I will take a chance on an IB, but G&M isn't the one for me. Cadenhead, OMC yes, Provenance for sure. Signatory I'd have to think about. G&M, I'd have to have feedback on those.

[Deactivated Member]

To play devil's advocate again, I'd say that just because you didn't like a bottle you'd spent $100 on doesn't mean you didn't get value out of it. And in any case, you can always serve it to your friends who demand ice....

[bjorn]

I think that's a central point. Given my dearth of spending money I just can't afford to buy duff bottlings on the chance they might be good. I read a poster once who said something along the lines of "I paid $100 and I didn't like it - oh well". This I can't afford.

Yes, Frodo hits the nail square on...for some of us it's hard enough to spend $100 on a bottle we do like, let alone we're not wowed by. If I get a bottle that is good but not great (enjoyable but not a repeat purchase) I say "oh well, they can't all be stellar," but to spend good money on a bad product and then have to force it down, well that's just insult adding to injury.

-Bjorn

[les taylor]

So it looks likes after some argumentative debate Someone has to play devil's advocate. The consensus of opinion on this particular subject is buy the 14 year old OB. I've bought it in the past and will in the future.

[Scotchio]

No ! Dont buy the 14yr old, you already had one last year. There are more than 100 distilleries and a vast array of versions both indi and IB from each. Do some research and try something else.

[peat-chaser]

Sorry for the questions, but do you US-boys always drink your dram alone?
Aren´t you connected with friends and other whiskyfans? Isn´t there a possibility
to order samples on a forum or to share a bottle with friends or
on a forum, i.e. with a posting like this: "I´m gonna open a bottle XY, bottled
by ?, ? y.o., ?%, 12 samples with 5 cl are available, the price will be 3 - 30
euro + postage".
Here in Germany we do all this and that gives us the chance to try much more
whiskys than we can afford whole bottles. And it´s not only in Germany, for
there are connections to austria, swizzerland, netherlands, ...



Come on - out there, there are hundreds may be thousands of whiskyfans who
are waiting for action and a good offer. The states are a rather big country, so it´s
for sure that your not alone with your interests.
So why don´t you run clubs (is that the right word?) and a local forum for latest
news (like here), bottle-sharing (like above), sample-exchange and regional
appointments, meetings and (private) tastings.

And to come to an end, your talking about a bottle for round about 50 bucks, I´m
sure not all of you got stuck on the first step of the 'american dream' (dishwasher).

[Deactivated Member]

I realize fully that many cannot afford the tuition at the school of trial and error.

I'm one of those people, but for me it is the cost of lost opportunity as I soldier my way through 28 mediocre drams when I could be having 28 fantastic drams. I hope I'm willing to try most things, but buying a whole bottle on spec is a habit that I am trying to break.

[peat-chaser]

Hi Nick,

I perfectly argee with you, but it´s hard to tell which dram is mediocre and which is fantastic witout trying them.

[Deactivated Member]

I perfectly argee with you, but it´s hard to tell which dram is mediocre and which is fantastic witout trying them.

Not at all - it's what the reviewers are for.

[corbuso]

I quite liked Clynelish 14 when I went through a bottle of it around a year ago. Thinking of getting another, but I see that Park Ave. Liquor has a 12 yo G&M bottling (1989) for roughly the same price. Should I take a chance on the indie? They have the Mission III and Mission IV bottlings, too, but those are outside of my price range unless someone can convince me why I should spring for the Mission III (20 yo, 1983) over the distillery or G&M bottlings.

Thanks in advance

As an alternative, if you can, try the Clynelish 1987 18 YO sherry butt from Signatory cask strength. It should go around $80 and it is very good.

Cheers
----
http://www.whisky-news.com

[martin grant]

Because I've had the OB, and good as it is, I want to try different things! Yes, even if they aren't as good. Come on, guys, where's your sense of adventure? Some of you people are just amazingly timid. "Oh no, Mr Tattie Heid, I can't buy that! I'm afraid!" [Channeling Belushi in Animal House.] Take a chance! Live a little! There are many worse things in life than getting stuck with the occasional crap bottle.

I was adventurous once, took a chance, tried to live a little.
I bought a bottle of Ledaig NAS

[Mr Fjeld]

Because I've had the OB, and good as it is, I want to try different things! Yes, even if they aren't as good. Come on, guys, where's your sense of adventure? Some of you people are just amazingly timid. "Oh no, Mr Tattie Heid, I can't buy that! I'm afraid!" [Channeling Belushi in Animal House.] Take a chance! Live a little! There are many worse things in life than getting stuck with the occasional crap bottle.

I was adventurous once, took a chance, tried to live a little.
I bought a bottle of Ledaig NAS

brrrrrrrrrr
I would call that extreme sports.....possibly lethal too! I'd rather bungy jump than drink it again. Was it Ledaig NAS Socrates drank?

Back to the original question; why not try something from an IB if it receives good comments from reviewers or on this forum. I cannot get anything than the OB here but would probably buy it again anyway as I think it's a very good whisky.

[Bulkington]

'As an alternative, if you can, try the Clynelish 1987 18 YO sherry butt from Signatory cask strength. It should go around $80 and it is very good."

Perhaps if I can find it. Park Avenue Liquor has only the OB and the G&M listed above and theirs is the largest selection (and at the highest prices) in NYC, as far as I know (and they're searchable on line). But there's a place down around Columbus Circle, I think, that's supposed to have a great selection and a lot of indies, so maybe I'll find more and better options there. Sounds like G&M is among the less reliable independent bottlers?

I'm hoping to make a decision on an indie Clynelish and/or an indie Ardmore (see other thread) within the week.

Thanks, all.