Clynelish The Jazz Crescendo (2023 Diageo Special Release) is 10 years old, bottled at 57.5% ABV, aged exclusively in first fill ex-bourbon casks, and sells for around $230. To spoil the ending, this is the best bottle of Scotch that I have opened in 2023. Maybe there’s a recency bias, because I opened it a week ago, but I don’t think anything else comes close. An improv jazz crescendo is the perfect analogy for this whisky. It simultaneously displays an effortless harmony and a nervous tension between bold notes that battle for dominance whilst ebbing at just the right time to promote the larger picture of a soul-affirming ensemble. To defend the price, this whisky deserves to be at Octomore prices. The few people who have reviewed the Clynelish Special Releases from Diageo recently tend to lament the price. This magical age-to-price curve, and this addiction to “value” is a modern affliction. Strive to be better than the peasants. When you see a 24-year-old AnCnoc (sorry to be picking on AnCnoc – they have a solid 10-year-old offering) that is still on the shelf at $230, you should not be excited at the bargain, but you should be dubious about why this is still on the shelf (psst, because it’s garbage). When you see a 10-year-old whisky for $230, especially once you can determine that there isn’t too much spent on marketing fluff and packaging, you should be excited about why this whisky demands such a premium (psst, because it’s premium). The two-word theme of this Clynelish is “tropical island.” You are on a resort, and you are going straight from the beach to the jazz venue. The saltiness of the ocean is still on your lips as you sit down and indulge on a tropical fruit basket of pineapple, papaya, mango, and spritzes of lemon. The famed waxiness of Clynelish is ever present, coating everything like John Coltrane on the saxophone. And the spices, mainly cardamom, mint, and black pepper, play it cool like Chico Hamilton on the drums, occasionally and deftly becoming assertive on a long and contemplative finish. Do not add water to this experience. That would be like throwing a pitcher of water on a jazz band at the moment of climax. You need to be able to smell the sweat - the cost of art.