The Clydeside coming of age with new releases
The last 25 years we have seen an explosive growth in new distilleries in Scotland. Now the industry is heading for a downfall, or in the midst I could say, and the first names have been popping up on going for broke or halting production. I hope everyone does well! It is hard to pour heart and soul (and money) into what you do, only to find the tide against you. Best of luck to everyone involved!
In the meantime, there are certain names I do not worry about at all. The Clydeside Distillery on the shore of the River Clyde in Glasgow is such a name. They have a fantastic touristic hotspot with their location, but more importantly: their first whiskies have been of decent quality. Not outstanding, but bottlings with a traditional look, feel and taste to it. The Cydeside releases are also not flooding the market, which I think is a good thing. Recently, the distillery put out the first small batch age stated single malt, which could be seen as a taste to come for even more mature age statements later on. Perhaps a 10 or 12 year old. According to my source at the Dutch importer of the brand, there might be similar small batch releases awaiting in the future, even though there are no concrete plans as of yet.
Alongside the new 8 year old also appeared a single cask for the Dutch importer Craft Spirits. We are going to taste them both today! Thanks for providing the samples, Craft Spirits.
The Clydeside 8 years old, bottled at 55,5 % abv
First things first: Only 2100 bottles are released of this Clydeside at 8 years old, that is fully oloroso sherry matured. A release in 2026. In a way, this release is the continuation of the Clydeside Napier, the no age stated sherry release, which was initially 6 years matured.
Upon Sipping: The first bottling was named Stobcross and it served a long time on my shelf. I enjoyed the Lowland character in that one, and I can see that this 8 years old keeps that going. Lemon cake, custard, honey drizzle, but all infused with a whiff of modern sherry. Some balsamico, and then finally more red fruit, mostly berries. Good balance, nothing jumps out at you, it is very tranquil. The reward will be delivered mostly on the palate, I assure you, where this Clydeside is really rich in caramel, raisin cake, some leathery notes for balance, before revealing some tobacco leaf in the aftertaste. The finish is powerful, with the sherry richness carrying all the way down. With water, the nose favours the sherry influences now, with more forward leathery notes, as we already found them on the palate. Some more glazed honey too. The palate has become sugary sweet, like a sugared cookie, but there is enough wood influence and chocolate substance to counterbalance that sweetness. The sherry is loud but this Clydeside (naturally, next to the river!) can swim very well. Small batch whisky for the win, as this expression proves.
Word to the Wise: I am very charmed by this release. At the distillery some two or three years ago I already tasted a cask sample of a sherry matured expression. It seems to have become this. The promise was there then, and now delivered. Beware, it is modern sherry, but it works well with the solid lowland spirit produced on the banks of the Clyde!
Score: 86 points.
The Clydeside 2021, bottled for Craft Spirits at 55 % abv
First things first: Only 5 years old and 1,5 year of that was a finish in a Calvados cask. The cask number is # F4, keeping it simple! Only 355 bottles for the Netherlands.
Upon Sipping: This is a different story altogether, The nose is a bit more closed up and has a musty smell. Like a dusty floor on which overripe apples were made into mash and pulp. Some hints of warm apple pie cannot be denied, still the influence of the Calvados cask is kept in balance with the overall more malty spirit of The Clydeside. On the palate, the story is the other way round, with lots of apple influence and a certain hotness that seems to come natural to regular Calvados. I have to say that I actually like Calvados very much as a way to mature whisky. Here it works too, but I feel the spirit is still a bit too young. A splash of water does the character good, with more fruit-forward apple notes on the nose. The palate has mellowed too a little, taking away that sharp Calvados edge and replacing it with vanilla and a slight oaky bitterness. This is adventurous stuff, and certainly different in today’s whisky landscape.
Word to the Wise: A daring bottle by Craft Spirits. This is not an easy whisky but it is eclectic and therefore provides a load of fun. Calvados casks seem to link up nicely with whisky, and this Clydeside underlines that.
Score: 83 points.