Clynelish SMWS 26.105 “Bumblebees by the Sea”

(Thanks again to /u/Scotch_Fanatic for these drams, really excited to try them!)

So I’m having trouble keeping up with my wife’s target of reviewing more drams than last time. Not in that “hey is my liver bleeding” way or anything like that, more like the fact that you run out of certain drams once you’ve hit as many reviews as me.

Also my diamond shoes won’t fit anymore and the helicopter’s CD player is busted.

None the less, through trades I’m able to try a bevy of different drams, and as I have these bottles in front of me, I better try them.

You’ve heard all about these drams lately: There were some mini-community reviews put together by Scandinavians who were all awesome (Note some of them may not be Scans, I don’t really know anymore, we all keep fucking one another and genealogy isn’t my best subject).

So, up first, we have Clynelish SMWS 26.105 “Bumblebees by the Sea”. The name is a lot of fun for these drams. I like the visual of big, fat, almost not flying bees, skirting waterspouts to pick up honey on some far away bush.

And then the woman screams. That’s why you don’t get your privates tattooed kids.

(Just kidding, keep getting some crotch ornaments).

Price: N/A in Ontario

Region: Highland

Abv: 57.6%

Date Distilled: 28 November 1984

Age: 29 years

Cask Type: Refill ex-sherry butt

Colour: Pale yellow

Nose: Unripe melon, mace, lime, mango sticky rice, Italian parsley

Odd combination of flavours, to say the least. I think the bees are drunk. Go home bees. Go home.

It’s all a little off putting at first. Eventually it ends up with just the mango and parsley, which again, is odd.

Taste: Lemon cake, strawberry, butter, chipotle, mint, medium amber honey

Sweet. That’s a good word here. Really sweet, buttery, sweet, somewhat spicy, and sweet.

Not cloyingly sweet, however I have a higher sweet tooth than most people (as I eat Icelandic chocolate/licorice while typing this), so others may find it to be too much.

Finish: Earth, pecan, nutmeg, radish, mint, sage, dry, burn

And no more sweet. Mostly earthy and herbal, with a lot of burn and dry notes. Complex, I’ll say that.

Conclusion: This is a perfect example of why age and complexity don’t always equal out to be a good dram. This is an odd combination of flavours that is impressive and not that great to drink.

Like being able to lick one’s own backside, I’m both impressed and don’t want to see this dram again. I’d recommend against buying it unless you’re morbidly curious.

77/100

Scotch review #284, Highland review #44, Whisky Network review #421