Clynelish 1972-2008 35 Year Old Specialty Drinks #12651

The Clynelish 1972 has a remarkable body and is truly excellent. Clynelish CLYNELISH 1972-2008 35yo SPECIALITY DRINKS #12651 53.7% One of 273 bottles, Hogshead The aroma is rich with concentrated apricot tea, heated apple, beeswax wax, honey, oil, cinnamon, and a rich finish. When drinking, it has a silky texture with viscosity, a jam-like sweetness reminiscent of honey, and an oily, rich long finish. [Very Good/Excellent] This Clynelish 1972, aged for 35 years, was bottled by Specialty Drinks (Whisky Exchange) in 2008. The aroma features a concentrated apricot tea, beeswax wax, and nuances of oil, giving an impression of extreme richness and thickness. The flavor is unmistakably that of Clynelish 1972, with a clear sense of 'this is it.' The texture has a sticky viscosity and a rich flavor, with a sweet depth. While not complex in aroma, it offers a unique intoxicating sensation. This is truly an individualistic malt and one of my favorite flavors. From the Exchange, there are also several other Clynelish 1972 bottles, all with similar individualistic aromas. However, some later releases show a slightly over-ripe character. While those are also delicious, this bottle lacks additional components that might have been introduced later, maintaining a purer expression. This is my personal preference, but this bottle's high alcohol content and preserved body make it exceptional. By the way, when I think of delicious Clynelish, 1972 immediately comes to mind. However, in this era, the release of 1972 was overwhelmingly common, and I've had opportunities to taste other vintages from around that time. They all shared similar aromas. Speaking of which, were the releases from the late 1970s bottlers? I don't recall drinking any. Since grape quality doesn't vary significantly year by year, and the distillery didn't change its production methods, it's possible that this unique 1972 cask was simply widely available during that period, rather than a specific vintage. Nevertheless, this Clynelish 1972 was the first whisky I consciously drank with an awareness of vintages, so I have a slight resistance to this conclusion. (Laughing) I believe similar situations occur with other distilleries, where bottlers' excellent releases are associated with specific vintages.