Coming Soon - 1997 Douglas Laing & Co. XOP Xtra Old Particular The Black Series Clynelish 25 Year Old Single Cask Limited Release Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

"...quite sublime." - whiskyfun.com

Douglas Laing's new, luxury packaging for their 'Black Series' employs monochromatic colours complemented by gold foil details. Each bottle is hand-filled and features an embossed metallised label, glass stopper and the handwritten signatures of Fred and Cara Laing. Black moleskin cases carry a certificate of authenticity. Seldom on the market nowadays, this should be a no-brainer for Clynelish fans and savvy collectors. It's also a tiny outturn, with a mere 129 bottles decanted from a refill hogshead at 47.5% Alc./Vol. Non-chill-filtered.

Other reviews... Colour: pale gold. Nose: we have a Clynelish that is much softer, much more on ripe banana, very gentle spices, old ointments, a very old bottle of Verveine du Velay, Arquebuse (has anyone tasted Arquebuse?) followed by very light tobacco, a bit of hay, even straw, and very ripe mirabelles. Not extremely typical, perhaps, but absolutely charming. Palate: it could be another distillery, I wonder if it was around this time that Clynelish had thoroughly cleaned its receivers and thus eradicated all the 'gunge' that gives the distillate its proverbial waxy side. In any case, even if it could be another distillery, it's a tremendous malt, soft, complex, very elegant, with honey rather than beeswax, almond paste, very ripe apples and pears, serviceberry liqueur... All this is really very pretty. Finish: medium length, refined, more on almonds and pistachios. Also reminiscent of a very high-quality amaro. A salty hint at the very end of the finish. Comments: quite sublime. I forgot to tell you that the citrus comes back for a second encore on your palate after two or three minutes. 89 points - whiskyfun.com