Cladach Blended Malt (2018 Special Release)

I like intense oak wood, astringent and crisp dry finish. It is little surprise to me,not big WOW,but LITTLE wow. Yes, palate as described, subtle bonfire smoke with sweet fruits,citrus,vanilla notes. Astringent. I liked.

I managed to procure a TWE sample of this. To be fair I tried this after two 60%+ bourbons Kentucky Owl and Brookers which were both excellent so I was wondering how this would hold up after those two and the answer is not to bad! Not worth the price or anything but nice blend of malts, well balanced. Get creamy smoke, sweet vanilla predominantly.

This was part of Diageo’s 2018 Special Release, which I got to sample thanks to a generous pour that @LeeEvolved sent me. Every year, usually in the fall, Diageo cleverly markets about 7 or so whiskeys from their portfolio, and positions these as “special”...whatever that means. Generally I always purchase the Lagavulin in their series, or this year, their Talisker 15. This series has always a fairly priced one ( usually Lagavulin , Caol Ila &/or Talisker), and some outrageously priced ones ( used to be Brora or Port Ellen). This Cladach was cleverly engineered as having consisted of all their coastals: Caol Ila, Lagavulin , Oban, Inchgower, Clyneish, and Talisker. With that lineup, it sets itself definitely as coastal. Lightly smoky nose, with some meaty jerky aroma; taste is, yes, seaside briny, coastal, seaweed, lemongrass , and, there it is—-the Talisker pepper. Really well made...I was fearful this was going to be a marketing bullshit stunt, but it’s actually really good. This used to be about $120-150, but I’m guessing it’ll be hard to find now.

This blend is part of Diageo’s 2018 Special Releases. It’s called “Cladach”- which translates as “shore”, in Gaelic. Unlike their previous blends normally released annually with the other special releases: Collectivum- this is a blend of whiskies from Diageo-owned, coastal distilleries: Caol Ila, Clynelish, Lagavulin, Oban, Inchgower and Talisker. It’s a deep and dark gold in the Glencairn and forms tiny beads when you spin the glass. It’s very oily and took nearly a minute to form the thick, slow legs. It’s bottled at a robust 57.1% ABV and costs a ridiculous $168. The nose delivers on the name almost immediately, with maritime sea spray and salt. Soggy peat, pine and citrus keep the theme intact for the entire nosing experience. There’s heat and an occasional waft of juicy berries. They are hard to discern, but will reward the patient drinker. The palate, again, continues to nail down the theme: Earthy peat and sea salt dominate here. Hints of citrus and light smoke keep me tuned into Lagavulin and Talisker. Late into the sip some sherry slides across the tongue in a malty and harsh rush. The high ABV really makes concentrating on nailing down flavors a chore. It’s just way too hot out of the bottle. Water is almost a necessity- and, yes- I hate that. The finish is spicy, salty and hot. A long, briny note resonates through your entire mouth and down into your belly. Think slamming back cold, raw oysters. Now, I love oysters- just not in my whisky. It’s a rough way to finish. Overall, this one is for hardcore islanders. Not the “love letter from Islay” whisky group- the “I’d rather be fishing off the coast of Islay during the winter”-type. This won’t keep you warm on a cold night at sea- it’ll have you on the bow screaming obscenities into the darkness as the boat crests and dives through the waves. If there’s ever been any truth to the statement “this’ll put hair on your chest, boy!” it’s meant for this whisky. You have been warned. 3.5-3.75 stars. Cheers.