Clynelish 10 Year The Jazz Crescendo (2023 Special Release)

This 10-year-old Scotch, bottled at 57.5% ABV and aged exclusively in first-fill ex-bourbon casks, costs around $230. To reveal the conclusion, this is the finest bottle of Scotch I've opened this year. Perhaps it's recency bias, as I opened it a week ago, but I don't think anything else compares. An improv jazz crescendo is the perfect analogy for this whisky. It simultaneously showcases effortless harmony and a tense interplay between bold flavors vying for attention, yet receding at just the right moment to enhance the overall experience. To justify the price, this whisky merits the cost of a premium bottling. Recent reviews of Diageo's Special Releases tend to complain about the price. This unusual balance of age and price, and this obsession with "value," is a modern problem. Aspire to be better than the average consumer. When you find a 24-year-old bottling still available for $230, you shouldn't be excited about the bargain, but rather suspicious about why it's still on the shelf (hint: it's not good). When you see a 10-year-old whisky for $230, especially when you can tell that the marketing and packaging weren't excessively expensive, you should be intrigued as to why this whisky commands such a premium (hint: it's premium). The defining characteristic of this bottling is "tropical island." Imagine you're at a resort, heading straight from the beach to a jazz club. The taste of salt from the ocean is still on your lips as you settle in and enjoy a tropical fruit basket of pineapple, papaya, mango, and a spritz of lemon. The signature waxiness of this distillery is ever-present, coating everything like a saxophone solo. And the spices, primarily cardamom, mint, and black pepper, play it cool like the drums, occasionally and expertly becoming prominent in a long, thoughtful finish. Do not dilute this experience with water. It would be like dousing a jazz band at its peak performance. You need to experience the intensity – the effort involved in creating art.

I've had this bottle for about eight months and feel completely indifferent about it. Similar to another review, it has many tropical notes, hints of vanilla, and a pleasant spice on the finish, which is all good. However, my main issue is that it's unremarkable. It doesn't feel like a premium product. On the contrary, I spent a lot of money on it, so when I forget how mediocre it tastes to me, I try it again, hoping for redemption. It's too potent for my palate, so a splash of water helps, but I find the flavors to be ordinary and available elsewhere for a much better price. I don't know, perhaps my palate isn't as refined as a certain reviewer's (it's definitely not), but I believe for the average consumer, this is not a good purchase. It's too costly and doesn't deliver the satisfaction I expect. Had I bought it for $100 less, my indifference would be less pronounced. However, with so many excellent whiskies available today, this one doesn't compel me to return. I'll continue to drink it occasionally, but it will never be a regular pour. Lesson learned!

A beautiful whiskey. The aroma isn't very open or prominent, seeming rather reserved and subdued. However, as reserved as the scent is, the taste is remarkably pronounced. Fruity notes of pear, yuzu, lychee, vanilla, and rosehip. A perfect whiskey for springtime.

I enjoy the fruitiness and heat of whisky