Category: Clynelish

Style: Citus-y and Complex

Nose:
Lemon peel, Sprite lightly mixed with peppermint schnapps to give a satisfying warmth. Mineralic and coastal peat echoing a gentle whisper. Orange confectionaries sprinkled with citrus salt. Barley scattered around carelessly while a thin layer of wax coated around the core. Light pencil shavings and floral fragrance sitting at the bottom. You can feel there are multiple elements at play here. A highly complex nose.

Palate:
Begins with more lemon citrus, cedar wood arrives earlier than expected. Orange, pineapple and grapefruit fully immersed in nectar, the sweetness is building carefully on top of barley and agar agar foundation. Tropical fruits, candlewax, rich caramel, coconut shreds with another touch of peppermint. Malt syrup crystallized beautifully towards the end.

Finish:
A rather barley-dominated finish, whereas the other elements – orange, vanilla, honey-lemon jelly gradually surface after a while.

Thoughts:
I remember this Clynelish has stirred controversy when it came out with a whopping $A950 price tag slapped on it. How a NAS (No Age Statement) can cost this much was beyond comprehension for many. To clarify things, I read the little booklet in the package box and it says, “Selecting some of our oldest reserve and using only whiskies at least fifteen years…” Hence, technically speaking, it is a 15 years old Clynelish packaged as NAS. While the concept of this product is an intriguing one, but I rather not delve too much into it as my review is long enough as it is. Back to the whisky, there is definitely a modern vibe to it, but at the same time it feels the older component does unlock the complexity of the spirit, an array of nuances displayed nicely without being overpowered by its core signatures. A highly technical dram, and whether it is worth the price tag probably depends on how much you want to pay for a delicious and beautifully executed whisky.

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[54.9% | No Age Statement | Original Bottling | Cask Strength | Bottle Number: 1691 | 2964 Bottles | Non Chill Filtered | Non Coloured | **-]

Style: Fruity, Complex and Elegant

Nose:
Gentle entrance of lemon citrus, while herbal notes beaming positively at the front. Orange drops, baked fruits, coriander (?), yellow flowers, a touch of tar and tropical fruits all carefully weaving together to give a subtle, beautiful and complex secondary layer, which is quite the reverse of what the “modern” Clynelish offers. Are we dialing back time and have a taste of old-school Clynelish here? Medicinal spice, peppermint, vanilla barley, a pinch of salt rubbing on game meat, the elements on offer is simply dazzling.

Palate:
Citrus confectioneries building up a nice round sweetness, lemon rind, sea salt, game meat, candle wax, flint stone, coconut shreds and thyme intertwining closely. Yellow flowers blossom, while tropical fruits quietly simmering on top of amber coal and peat smoke. Another dash of peppermint spice, lavender and citrus oil dripping on mineral stones and dry barley.

Finish:
Lemon cake coated with icing sugar, more confectioneries with just a tiny bit of candle wax to finish.

Thoughts:
Not often I get to try 20 years old plus Clynelish, I wonder why there are so little them these days… Now this one feels very different to what we know as the modern style – waxy and citrus-forward, this is way more subtle, way more complex than most Clynelish that I have tried so far. The citrus fruits, tropical fruits, wax, mineral notes, peat smoke, saltiness, grassiness, every piece is assembled intricately with pure elegance and finesse. I wouldn’t say it is my 3 stars whisky, but no wonder Serge likes this so much. Incredible dram.

☆☆ [Highly Recommended]

[50.1% | Independent Bottling | Cask Strength | Non Chill Filtered | Non Coloured | Single Cask | Cask Number: CY9219 | 2019 Bottled | 1992 Distilled | **+]

-Esmond

Style: Fruity and Waxy

Nose:
Citrus grapefruit and orange beaming positively at the front, the fruity sweetness is nicely supplemented with a gentle touch of candle wax. Decent vanilla brush, fresh lemon peels garnished around the core, with mineral spice combines with barley and cereal notes. Faint aroma of banana split at its tail.

Palate:
More lemon and grapefruit sweetness teams up comfortably with the growing waxiness on the palate. Citrus-scented candle and balm sealing the top. Light tropical fruits slipping under, quite similar to what the nose has suggested. The tone gradually drops lower to the drier region, with minimal vanilla drizzling on oat and barley, faint sea salt and ends with a hint of kumquat oil.

Finish:
Sweet lemon and orange wax, a final touch of menthol singing out pretty nicely.

Thoughts:
Clynelish, though not as well-known as some other single malts, is the beloved distillery of many connoisseurs, myself included. It is not hard to see why – Bright citrus fruits character fits perfectly with ample waxiness to create a deliciously sweet, comfortable and effluent profile. An excellent style which is now a rarity in modern era, and this current official general release offers you a glimpse of what Clynelish is about. A nice introductory whisky.

✓ [Recommended if you like the style/distillery]

[46% | Original Bottling | General Release | circa 2016 Bottled]

-Esmond