I believe 071 is the area code of Leiden in The Netherlands, which explains the name of the local whisky club WHISKY071. Early 2026 they visited Duncan Taylor and selected a cask of Clynelish 2017.
Clynelish 8 yo 2017 (51,9%, Duncan Taylor for WHISKY071 2026, Palo Cortado octave finish #Q5155, 97 btl.)
Nose: there’s some active wood (a small cask after all) with creamy vanilla and cake frosting that I find a bit out of place. Stewed yellow apples and walnuts. Some honey and a tangy hint of orange peels. Then hints of cut grass and a light mineral touch. Not a typical cask: quite sweet, very little sherry, and also not really on the waxy side of Clynelish.
Mouth: now more chalky and mineral, with a waxy note. Still a vagure sweetness of almonds, light caramel and sweet apple. Also a mildly bitter side (Seville orange) and some baking spice (nutmeg, cardamom, a hint of aniseed). Gets a bit tangy, with a subtle boozy edge in the end.
Finish: medium, drying with more orange bitters, walnuts and wood spice.
Now there seems little point in questioning the selection work of ten whisky lovers, but this is still a young, slightly rough whisky. Young Clynelish can be nicely waxy, but here it is mostly hidden behind a sherry influence that isn’t particularly interesting either. These octaves are often tricky. Still on sale at Whiskysite.nl.