Batch 212

There’s a slightly angular start to this, with some crisp bread crust/wheat chaff and intense green grassiness, before things soften a little into macadamia, smooth toffee and light syrup. In time there’s even a little injection of wild rose, but even when water is added there’s an unresolved tension between the edgy, green elements, and the soft silkiness.

It is much better on the palate, where the previously conflicting elements begin to work together. Things start in a fresh, lightly lime-like acidic fashion, then start to pick up an increasingly gingery note. The firmness seen on the nose remains but has shifted towards the back, giving the whole mix a balancing crispness. Water makes things sweeter, with some concentration and a zippy, brisk mid-palate with added green banana.

Light, then dusty spices.

Once you sort out that slight aluminium thing on the nose, you have a decent lifted grain.

Drifting through the Lowlands…

(Dave Broom)

A fresh and appealing nose of apple puree, fresh citrus, prickly pear, melon, tinned pineapple and quince jam. In time there’s a hint of liquorice, then pencil shavings and that cow gum glue aroma you (or I) get from young Clynelish. Water softens things further into mashed banana, cane juice and a greener, more obviously youthful edge.

A very sweet start, with all of those soft orchard fruits immediately apparent. There’s also more mandarin and nectarine with a bright, almost mineral quality. By the middle of the tongue you’re hitting Clynelish’s classic tongue-clinging qualities with even more succulent, almost chewy fruits. It gets gingery hot by the end, but trying to dampen this down with water results in a loss of focus.

Lightly citric.

Light fruits on a summer’s day. Lovely. Marked in its competitive set.

…in the Morning Sun.

(Dave Broom)

A sumptuous mixture of stewing red and black fruits alongside red cherry juice and pomegranate. In time there’s some oak, chocolate and heavy maple syrup. Water adds in some stewing citrus, while a coffee element starts to build alongside the almond-like quality of cherry stone. Mature and elegant.

Really thick and unctuous, dripping with fruit syrups/jellied fruits. The tip is all purple berry fruits and melting chocolate that moves into sweetened coffee. There’s also noticeably more cinnamon/nutmeg spiciness. There’s just enough wood to add structure, which comes in handy when water is added as it adds a drying balance to the fruit-laden elements. Shows a lightly oxidised element.

Ripe and decadent.

A sipper for contemplation. It might seem slightly showy, but there’s enough grip. It ain’t cheap though.

Slide around like a Slinky Thing.

(Dave Broom)

Slightly shy to start with, so you have to concentrate to pick out the honeyed fruits, cashew, Oolong tea and tobacco leaf. There’s obvious depth, but it takes an age to open. In time there’s toffee and vanilla pod. Somewhat counterintuitively, water is your friend here. A tiny amount seems to concentrate, almost solidify, the aromas rather than dilute them. Now you get some tropical fruit, blueberry, sandalwood and a little drying hazelnut.

Like many blends this is more palate-driven (and once again is best with some water): all peach juice, butterscotch ice cream, stewed rhubarb and then, nutmeg. The tip is slightly oily, while the mid-palate shows the mature cedar-accented elements: a cigar box with that tobacco leaf note seen on the nose.

Clean, fruity, blackcurrant.

An exercise in subtleties, this demands your time.

Sit, sip and pretend you’re at the Movies.

(Dave Broom)

There’s that Royal Salute feeling of self-indulgence, but we’re in more savoury territory here, with a whisper of smoke undercutting the refined fruits, creamy vanilla and gentle spice. The overall effect is to lift and make everything more aromatic. Baked apples, cinnamon and a few morsels of vanilla fudge.

Silky-smooth. There’s earthy smoke from the off, that grows into more maritime notes of smoked eel. This is all beautifully integrated with robust spices – ginger, nutmeg, cinnamon – and an antique shop aroma coming from the wood. Seamless, but characterful. Water relegates the smoke in favour of sweet fruit, particularly dessert apple.

Sweetly fruited. A hint of mint.

The smoke makes this a bit of a Royal Salute outlier, although the trademark opulence remains. An excellent example of how to incorporate peated whisky into a blend.

‘Now the Shark Has Pretty Teeth, Dear…’

(Richard Woodard)

Rich and opulent – even more so than the Royal Salute signature blend. Peaches in golden syrup, polished parquet and some aromatic spices – cumin and ground dried coriander. Also lighter notes of pear and Red Delicious apple, spiked with cloves and ginger. There’s an inescapable sense of density and richness. Water teases out orange zest and sweetshop aromas of Parma Violets and Love Hearts.

Savoury at first – spices and more obviously woody notes, then darker fruits, including plum and damson, all drenched in more of that golden syrup. A hint of date and prune, but somehow this manages never to be cloying. Mouthcoating.

Sweet, oozing caramel, relaxed, savoury, aromatic oak that’s also slightly drying. Explosive.

At times a beast, at times completely smooth and sophisticated. A sense of the core Royal Salute 21-year-old turned up to 11.

It’s a perfectly well-behaved blend, Most of the Time.

(Richard Woodard)