02/04/2021 Clynelish

26.93 28yo 1984/2013 Cottage garden beside a church (56.3%, SMWS Society Single Cask, Refill ex-Sherry Butt, 352b): nose: unsurprisingly, it is Candlewax Central, with spent wick -- scratch that! It is burning wick. Char-grilled apricots, waxy mirabelle plums, coated in a thin dusting of soot. A second wave brings berries, though they seem waxy too -- maraschino cherries, fragrant blueberries, waxy dark grapes... Further along, a note of dry wood enters, by the fireplace, along with paraffin sealant in a jar of apricot jam. This is one to nose forever and a day: the combination of waxy fruit and charred wood is really something! In the long run, something delicately wine-y appears, though it is nowhere near cured meat in a wine sauce, fortunately. More roast beef, smothered in caramelised apricot compote. The second nose brings a note of fermenting apricot peel that is most interesting. Incredibly, adding water makes it even waxier -- insanely waxy, in fact. On top of that come whiffs of oven-baked biscuits (speculoos?) Mouth: meow! The attack is that of a cat's claw: incisive. Beeswax joins waxy fruits, here (mostly apricot), and the bitterness of apricot stone is present too, adding more depth. Candlewax? Check. Matchsticks are dancing quietly in the background. It is warming and makes me think of hairball (that is not Mitch Graham pronouncing 'herbal'). Maybe it has honey-coated lichen, though that is hard to confirm. Pencil erasers, nectarines, purple plums. Is that a drop of walnut oil and caper brine? You bet! It is a little numbing, undiluted, but I like that. Water creates the perfect balance. The cat now purrs, and, if the warm, fuzzy feeling is still there, it does no longer maul the tongue with sharp claws. It remains waxy and fruity, with piping-hot apricots and candlewax, as well as the softest sulphur-y note (spent wick is my guess). Finish: it really shines in the finish. Seal wax, solidifying beeswax, crystallising apricot compote, scented-candlewax, pressed plums, moss on a tree trunk (birch or hazel), a lick of new cork, caramelised honey, honey mustard. It is also remarkably long, clinging to the palate insistently, releasing the charred, waxy sweetness of char-grilled fruits that might well be tinned peaches, now. It becomes yet fruitier with water, and more accessible, thanks to a reduced alcohol kick. It was good neat, but it reaches another dimension reduced, shooting tinned peaches, fresh apricots and even wine-soaked mango slices left, right and centre, only letting charred matchstick or spent candle wick whispering softly through a gag ball, in the background. It took me about two decades to start appreciating this distillery. Expressions like this one justify the lengthy "quest." 9/10 (Thanks for the dram, JS)