This Clynelish 12y must have been distilled somewhere in the first half of the 1970’s. The name implies that it was made in the Clynelish II distillery, although the smoky taste is typical for Brora…

Clynelish 12y (57%, G&M 1980′s – Ainslie & Heilbron)

Nose: dried fruits (plums, raisins). Pine forest, resinous notes, wax, hints of mint as well (reminded me of a good Bourbon). Soft smoke. Absolutely superb. On the palate, there are burnt notes, slightly bitter chocolate, the sweet smoke again, and syrup (traditional Belgian apple and pear syrup from Liège). Wood and smoke keep getting stronger.

Really warm whisky, for a cold winter night. Bottled 25 years ago and genuinely “old style”, although it may not have a truly classic Clynelish (or Brora) profile. Frankly, I don’t care. It’s fabulous stuff and if I ever find this bottle somewhere, I’m buying it!

Well deserved 93/100.

Clynelish 16yo 1992 (46%, SMOS 2009, cask #5871, 293 btl.)

Nose: grassy start, needs some air to open up. After a while, there’s Clynelish’s trademark wax with oranges and yellow apples. A rather big fruitiness. Fresh walnuts and a touch of vanilla. Lemonade. Mouth: oranges again, grapefruit, lime. Peach. You get it, fruit. A slight gin-tonic kind of bitterness towards the end. Finish: medium long on violet candy, chili pepper and hints of wax.

Another interesting Clynelish from The Whisky Exchange. Nice and clean but not very typical. Around € 55.

Score: 85/100

Clynelish 31 yo 1972 (57,8%, SMWS 2004, 26.33)

Nose: lovely fruit in generous quantities… mango, pineapple sweets, kumquat, apricot. The expected beehive notes as well: honey, beeswax and balm, light pollen. Buttercups and honeysuckle. And a faint minerality / austerity, maybe even a phenolic note, in the background. After some time: soft cedar oak – cigar boxes indeed. Mouth: fruity marmalade and citrus with more spicy notes now (ginger and pepper). Orange zest and lemon oil. Leathery notes. Pepper. The peaty edge  is more pronounced (still very soft though) which makes it a little more austere than on the nose. Mineral notes again. Finish: long, still beautifully fruity. Orange cake and spices.

Very, very high quality, but we couldn’t expect any less from Clynelish 1972 of course. Long gone. Thanks Dominiek.

Score: 92/100

Clynelish 38 yo 1972
(46,2%, Whisky-Fässle 2010)

Nose: starts less expressive than I expected, but it folds open over time. Beeswax, pollen, tropical fruits (guava, mango). A bit “greener” than other Clynelishes, that I always seem to associate with yellow or orange hues. Grass maybe? Certainly more spices from the oak than in 20-30yo bottlings although it’s not woody. Mouth: also less abundant fruits here, less tropical (more on oranges and citrus zest). A bit resinous with some leafy notes. Ginger. Soft pepper. It’s easy to trace the oak. Maybe a soft mustardy note as well. Finish: grapefruit, spices, wax and a little salt.

This kind of really old Clynelish picks up a little roughness and shows less waxy sweetness compared to slightly younger 1980’s releases. Anyway it’s still great and comes down to personal preferences of course. Around € 230, now sold out.

Score: 91/100

A few months later, there was a similar hype around this Clynelish 1982 by Malts of Scotland. Let’s find out…

Clynelish 27 yo 1982 (51,5%, Malts of Scotland 2010, cask #5895, 263 btl.)

Nose: even more beeswax than already expected in Clynelish. Also much more tropical fruit notes (tangerine, melon, peaches on syrup) and honey. Hints of biscuits. Baked apples. A hint of lemon grass. Marzipan. Overall quite sweet but with just enough oak and spices to… well… spice it up a little. What an exceptional profile. Mouth: an extension to the nose, fruity and still quite waxy but it’s less sweet. There’s a bit more oak now and a few flinty notes. Gets drier over time, with a salty edge and hints of tea and ginger. Finish: honeyed and waxy. The spiciness is still growing.

This Clynelish 1982 has all the typical distillery elements and is less austere and ‘warmer’ than the release by Whisky Agency / Daily Dram. Especially the nose is extremely attractive which makes it one of the better Clynelish I’ve tried. Around € 100. It was sold out in no-time, but recently the sister cask has been released (cask #5894), and I’ve heard it’s very very similar, so make sure you don’t miss it.

Score: 91/100

Clynelish 28 yo 1982 (53,7%, Malts of Scotland 2011, MoS 11015, 275 btl.)

Nose: a lot punchier than the SMOS cask. More green banana. A tad more oak as well although that may be part of the higher strength. A lot of honeydew melon and beeswax (warm and honeyed compared to the sharper oiliness of the SMOS). Walnut liqueur. Apples with cinnamon. Some biscuity notes. Guimauves (the white ones). Great nose. Mouth: punchy again. Key components are vanilla and grapefruit this time, with some peppery notes. Hints of sweet almonds. Less complex and slightly less convincing than the nose, but still a nice whisky. Lemon zest and a slight coastal edge towards the end. Finish: long and elegant, zesty at first but coming back to a fruity sweetness.

For me this is the better Clynelish of the two, especially on the nose, although you could say they’re two different kinds of whisky alltogether (this one showing a slightly more 1970′s character). A little more expensive: around € 125.

Score: 91/100

Clynelish 28 yo 1982 (43,1%, Single Malts of Scotland 2011, hogshead #3985, 175 btl.)

Nose: delicate and mellow, even a little inexpressive at first. After a while it opens up with a juicy fruitiness (lime, yellow apple, white peach, something Albariño-esque), typical waxy notes (paraffin, lemon candles) and flinty notes in the background. Soft hints of vanilla. Faint grassy notes. Very nice but the strength makes you work harder to get the aromas. Mouth: waxy and citrusy (grapefruit, lemon). A few mineral touches. A bit more oaky dryness now, with hints of fruit tea. It seems too delicate to completely withstand the wood. Finish: waxy, lemony and faintly bitterish. Medium long.

Too bad this one was really soft. It’s great as long as you don’t compare it to similar Clynelish. I’ve had better ones, with just as much fruits, more punch and a better balance with the oak. Around € 110. Temporarily out of stock on the TWE website, but more is expected at the beginning of December.

Score: 89/100

Clynelish 27 yo 1982 (53,9%, 
Whisky Agency 2009, 240 btl.)

Nose: as expected, the same aromas: wax, stones, limes, leather, dry white wine… It seems a bit sweeter though (yellow apples, acacia honey). Added hints of grapefruit. Mouth: wax, lemons. Very rich. Slightly warmer, more biscuity. The oak seems smoother and the sea associations are subdued. More difficult to notice the aspirin now. Slightly peppery. Finish: long, less dry and a bit less bitter.

Well, I didn’t expect big differences but still it’s interesting to see how the extra 8% intensifies some aromas and makes others less prominent. I prefer this version, but I think the austerity of the Daily Dram release is slightly bigger. Around € 120. Sold out.

Score: 90/100

Clynelish 22 yo 1989 (50,9%, The Whisky Agency ‘Moody Lions’ 2011, ex-bourbon cask, 267 btl.)

Nose: quite a typical Clynelish with ripe fruits (caramelized apple, melons), waxy notes and something herbal / leafy in the background. Some buttery notes as well, more than we’re used to find. Folds open nicely with more beeswax and spices. Very warm with few mineral / coastal notes. Clynelish fans will love it. Mouth: creamy and punchy, sweet with some adorable fruity notes and again a certain buttery quality. Peach jam with vanilla and soft spices. Mirabelles and apples. Some heather honey. Vanilla pudding. Softly bitter grassy notes in the end. All in all a rather rounded version. Finish: long and warming, still high on fruits with some almonds and refreshing mint.

A beautiful Clynelish with some excellent juicy and creamy elements. Recommended, certainly because it’s not too expensive. Around € 120.

Score: 91/100

Giacconi, Casari, Giuliani, Begnoni, Righi, Ambrosio… all famous Italian whisky collectors. Valentino Zagatti is one of them.

He bought his first bottle (a Gilbey’s Spey Royal) in June 1958. To celebrate 50 years of collecting, he selected a couple of casks from Linkwood, Springbank, Glenlivet, Mortlach and Caol Ila bottled by High Spirits.

In this series there’s also this 16 years old Clynelish, bottled from an obviously very active oloroso sherry cask. I opened this bottle a couple of months ago with some whisky friends, and the first thing that struck us was a slightly sulphury smell. While I fully agreed at that time, a little airing seems to have changed it for the better – I can’t find any sulphur now.

Clynelish 16 yo 1991 (46%, High Spirits 2008, Valentino Zagatti’s Personal  Choice)

Very very dark. Nose: over the top sherry, dry and herbal with notes of dried fruits, coffee, walnut liqueur, crushed pecan nuts and a quite some wood. The sulphur has disappeared, but there are still traces of matchsticks and ashes to be found, which I don’t find disturbing. Water brings out orange peel and nice apricot aromas. A slightly exaggerated nose. Mouth: really dry. It starts on cold coffee flavours, then shows very dark chocolate and finally some Campari and Seville oranges. Quite nutty and a little tannic as well. This is an Octomore amongst heavy sherry bottlings. Finish: long, nutty, bitterish and slightly smokey.

Apart from the sulphur story, this could have been any whisky, as it’s 95% sherry influence and 5% Clynelish. Sherry extremism, I would say, which is a pity if you know the true character of young Clynelish.
Around € 80.

Score: 79/100

ps/ If you want this kind of profile, why not buy actual dry oloroso or Palo Cortado sherry? Lustau Don Nuño or the 30 year-old Gonzalez Byass Apostoles (both € 20-25) are well worth it.

Clynelish 15 yo 1995 (52,7%, Nectar of the Daily Drams for Germany 2010, ex-bourbon)

Nose: starts a little raw maybe but it settles down nicely. Quite maritime, with brine and seaweed. Sweet pineapple and vanilla. Over time it shows notes of hay and paraffin. A little less typical than I hoped it would be. Mouth: sweet start with the typical waxiness now. Lemon balm. Nicely rounded with honey, citrus and marzipan but quickly developing more austere grassy notes and an interesting saltiness. A little pepper. Spiced oak. Hints of peat? Finish: quite long, with Seville oranges, punchy spices and a salty edge. Still hints of peat, or is that my imagination?

A nice Clynelish which combines typical and less typical elements. Available from German web retailer eSpirits. Around € 65.

Score: 86/100

Clynelish 14 yo 1995 (46%, Daily Dram 2010)

Nose: typical violet candy and waxy notes. Lemon juice. It shows a few youngish elements, with notes of marshmallow and pear drops. A bit of orange marmalade and tropical fruits. Flinty hints of chalk and limestone. Also some ginger lemonade. Not too complex but very expressive. Mouth: fat and oily attack, again very fruity and sweet. Yellow apples, grapefruit. Very much on fruit candy now. Lemon balm. Almonds. On a second level, there are spicy notes (pepper, hints of curry maybe?), cashew nuts and hints of mocha. Paraffin in the aftertaste. Finish: half sweet, half spicy. Quite long.

A fine dram, that’s for sure. Highly drinkable as well. Around € 60.

Score: 87/100

ps/ As often these days, a higher strength version (53%) of the same cask is available from The Whisky Agency. These bottlers are sharing most of their casks lately, even though they don’t mention it.

Clynelish 12yo 1996 (58,1%, Malts of Scotland 2009, cask #8245, 304 btl.)

Nose: prickly nose but it opens up with some hand warmth, there’s lovely apricot captured by Clynelish’s typical wax. Hints of gin tonic and cut grass. Some oranges and almonds. Hints of violets. Lots of character really. Mouth: wonderful violet candy mixed with other fruity notes. Very sugary lemon juice. Sweet as marshmallows. So beautiful. Becoming oily and resinous. Oranges with nutmeg. Finish: medium length, balancing between waxiness, fruitiness and spiciness.

If you like vibrant, candied Clynelish, this is highly recommended. Around € 50 which makes it an absolute stunner! Thumbs up for Malts of Scotland. Find a shop in Germany that ships outside of the country.

Score: 90/100

Clynelish 14 yo 1997 (53,9%, Archives 2011, bourbon hogshead #4634, 160 btl.)

Nose: a slightly austere Clynelish which starts on linseed oil, flints and wax, followed by light fruity notes (lemon skin, apple) and some flowery hints. A very mineral profile. Mouth: sharp and pretty mineral again. Apples again and big zesty lemon (homemade limoncello without the sugar). Hints of tonic water. Grows more austere with grassy notes, ginger and salt. A tad too raw for my taste. Finish: medium long, clean, sharp and zesty.

Young Clynelish that’s behaving more like a lemon brandy. Around € 65. Available from the Whiskybase shop.

Score: 85/100

Clynelish 13 yo 1997 (48,9%, The Whisky Fair 2011, bourbon hogshead, 170 btl.)

Nose: typical round Clynelish, with sweet apples and pears, some vanilla and a few flinty / waxy notes. A little leather. Fresh lemon. Fresh oak shavings. Faint grassiness. Unsurprising but that’s not a bad thing! Mouth: even sweeter than expected, with pineapple sweets and pear drops. Some rounded oak which gives way to a little pepper and ginger. Wax. Then moving to grassy notes and softly bitter notes (grapefruit). Finish: medium long and zesty with a slightly bitter aftertaste.

Young and solid Clynelish. Around € 50, readily available. Good value for money.

Score: 86/100

This Clynelish 1997 is the fourth release in this series already. Time to review a few others in the near future.

Clynelish 14 yo 1997 ‘All you need is whisky’ (50,5%, The Whiskyman 2011, ex-bourbon, 160 btl.)

Nose: fruity and fragrant. A lot of juicy pear and gooseberry aromas. A little sweet oak and vanilla. Creamy banana. Lime candy. Very seductive, the usual mineral / waxy notes are certainly there, but they’re wrapped in a sweetness. Very nice. Mouth: oily and quite sweet again, with some pineapple sweets and apple / pear. Lime and grapefruit. Punchy and much spicier than the nose suggested (ginger and nutmeg). Some oak shavings and waxy notes. Finish: half fruity, half spicy with the trademark wax.

Great young Clynelish, especially the nose is spectacular for such a youngster. Better than the similar Whisky Fair bottling but also a little more expensive. Around € 65.

Score: 89/100

Clynelish 13yo 1998 (51,7%, The Whisky Agency ‘Liquid Library’ 2011, ex-bourbon hogshead, 214 btl.)

Nose: starts a bit musty and mossy, hiding the usual Clynelish vibrance. Leather notes. With some water it seems to find its character, with apple peelings and a little paraffin. Still not the freshest Clynelish. Mouth: sweeter and fruitier now, with very nice pear drops, oranges and almond notes. No obvious waxy notes on the palate. Quite some leather again, a hint of rounded oak and very soft spices. Not very different after adding some water. Finish: medium long, quite fruity. Faint grassy notes as well.

Not the most typical Clynelish in my book, but decent drinking whisky nonetheless. Around € 65.

Score: 83/100

Clynelish 37 yo (46%, The Whisky Exchange 10th Anniversary 2009)

Nose: beautiful start on beeswax and honey. Very fruity, with a basket of fresh tropical fruits (mango, pineapple) and more indigenous fruit (pear, orange, tangerine). Haribo bears. Lovely paraffin. Vanilla. Whiffs of oak spices to top it off (cinnamon and light pepper). A little olive oil and camphor. I don’t like to use the word ‘perfect’ but this is close! Mouth: a bit more resinous now. Still fruity (orange, peach, banana) but less exhuberant. Some Turkish delight. Hints of smoke and dust. In the end it shows ginger and a slightly salty hint of liquorice. Finish: very long and waxy with hints of orange skin and resinous dry oak.

Compared to the recent wave of 1982 Clynelish, this is oakier (of course), with more citrus and a more delicate profile. There have been some questions about the fact that it was diluted to 46% instead of earlier cask strength releases, but I can confirm that the end result is a good mix of complexity and drinkability. One to cherish! Available from TWE. Around € 175.

Score: 92/100

The original whisky was a ”triple malt”, a blend of just three single malts: Clynelish, Dailuaine and Teaninich, all 12 years old. After 18 additional months in the different casks, they were bottled at cask strength (52-55%). It’s interesting to see that only new oak was used, which is rather unusual for scotch whisky. The one I’m reviewing here was matured in an American oak cask, toasted to level 5 on a scale of 10.

Canto Cask 36 (54,3%, Compass Box for Bresser & Timmer, 2007, 257 btl.)

The nose starts on vanilla, apples and a bit of wax and varnish. Some spicy notes as well (nutmeg and cloves). Smooth oakiness. Mouth: really powerful, gets quite hot and toasty but stays elegant and sweet at the same time. Seems older than it actually is. The same spices return, oak and toffee as well. Warm finish with some bitter notes (cloves, walnuts, liquorice). The slightest hint of smoke. Score: 85/100.

I like this a lot, it’s complex yet accessible and I support the idea of experimenting, especially when we’re invited to evaluate the different results. I have a Canto Cask 15 (bought in Spain) as well, matured in French oak with a higher toasting level. I’m hoping to open it soon and do a head-to-head.

This 27 years old Clynelish is bottled by Daily Dram at 46% but also by The Whisky Agency at cask strength (53,9%). Let’s find out if it makes a difference.

Clynelish ‘Synch Elli’ 27yo 1982 
(46%, Daily Dram 2009)

Nose: big hints of wet limestones and wax. Wet newspaper. Fresh leather. Slightly tart apples and limes. Razor clams. A wonderful profile that’s very typical of Clynelish but that may seem strange if you’re not used to it. In fact, there are few immediately attractive aromas but it’s very unique and quite excellent. Mouth: lemon / lime again with slightly more candied notes. Wax again (I’ve never tasted a lemon candle but this may be close enough). Very mineral. Hints of aspirin. Quite some oak in the aftertaste. Finish: long, zesty, dry and a tad bitter.

This Clynelish is a very tight and uncompromising dram. You’ll love it or hate it. Around € 100 – excellent value for money.

Score: 89/100