Clynelish is one of my favourite distilleries. There aren’t many official bottlings. The standard 14yo is widely available. But that’s about it. Unless you count the Select Reserve. Luckily there are plenty of independent, single cask offerings. Like this new Clynelish 1995 from Single Malts of Scotland.
Clynelish 1995/2015 (57,8%, Single Malts of Scotland, C#932013)
Nose: Stewed apples, cooked brussel sprouts, but also lemon peel. Chalky and waxy. Needs some time to develop, and does become a bit sweeter. Water brings out a hint of sourness, which quickly disappears. The nose is somewhat pleasant, but one dimensional.
Taste: Even chalkier, with only a hint of candle wax. Drying. Plenty of heat with black pepper. Some sweet apple crumble and lemon in the background. Certainly a whisky for the more advanced whisky drinker.
Finish: Dry and a lot waxier with pears and sweet grapes.
Rating: 86
To be totally honest: most of the time a 3cl sample is enough to assess a whisky, but not this time. This Clynelish grew on me while nosing and tasting. And I feel this is a whisky that once opened, will only improve. Air will probably do it some good.
But for now I’ll just say that this is a good whisky and a nice Clynelish, but with the abundance of independent bottled Clynelish out there, you can do better.
Sample provided by Speciality Drinks.
