Clynelish 10 Year Diageo Special Release 2023 “The Jazz Crescendo”

Scotch Whisky Review #489: Clynelish 10 Year Diageo Special Release 2023 “The Jazz Crescendo”

Distillery: Clynelish.

Region: Highland.

Age: 10 Years.

ABV: 57.5%.

Cask Type: First-Fill Bourbon American Oak Casks.

Color: 0.8, Old Gold.

This is the 17th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can check out previous editions as well (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

Nose: This is really, really ethanol-y on the nose to the point where it is fairly unpleasant. Once you can get past the rampaging ethanol, you do get a bit of a floral perfume. Orange blossom is what comes to mind but I’m sure more I couldn’t place. There’s also something that reminds me of Lotus Biscoff spread as well.

Palate: Just like the nose, this is very prickly and hot. It is really, really hard to get down and hard to even really get a lot out of. From what I can tell, there’s a bit of lemon curd, a bit of canned pineapples but most importantly there is absolutely no wax. Drown it with enough water and it calms down some but I never seemed to get the heat under control to be pleasant. It calms down into a pretty basic Clynelish with lemon, grapefruit pith, and a bit of floral tea. Again, no wax.

Finish: Medium in length. Lemon is the only real note. After adding water, there is the tiniest bit of wax that lingers.

Conclusion: Ex-Bourbon casks and Clynelish should be a match made in heaven. Unfortunately, it seems like Diageo has somehow screwed up what should have been a surefire recipe for success. This year’s Clynelish comes off as hot, immature, and ultimately underbaked. It’s hard to smell let along drink at full strength. Adding water does reveal a whisky that isn’t particularly special. The greatest sin of all to me though is the virtual absence of the waxy character Clynelish is so famous for. Don’t waste your money.

Rating: 70.

Scotch Whisky Review #489, Highland Review #100, Whisky Network Review #653

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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