So this post has been long in the making. I started typing out the tasting notes almost a week ago, with the idea to finish it soon after. You know, during some down time at work, or at the latest after coming home again.

Obviously I didn’t, since it’s not last week anymore. Anyway, a sort of random Clynelish I found in my sample stack. I think I got it from buddy TK, but I can’t be sure without doing some investigation, and I don’t really care enough to invest the effort for that.

So, Clynelish then. One of my favorite distilleries in Scotland, and one that was planned to be expanded in 2014 and 2015. Due to a surprising slump in the Chinese economy, some of these projects were cancelled/postponed, and Clynelish was (if I’m not mistaken) one of them.

They are most famous for their waxy and sometimes austere whiskies, which I really enjoy and have done since I ‘discovered’ the distillery years ago.

Image from Whiskybase

Sniff:
The minerality of nineties Clynelish is something that stands out to me from the start. Not as prominent as in some others, but it’s there. Also honey, beeswax, oak and candles (waxine).

Sip:
The palate is sharp but warming with slate, honey and some more oak. There’s tropical fruit as well, so it’s quite sweet. Soft oak, shortbread and apple crumble.

Swallow:
The finish is a lot more gentle than the palate was, but also dryer and creamier. Some pastry, not a lot of vanilla, soft oak, honey and tarte tatin.

Well, this is a cracking dram. It’s not as austere as most other nineties Clynelishes I’ve tried, but that only gives the waxy notes some room to shine, and it is better for it. The minerals are certainly prominent on the nose, but not so much as in most of the 1997 range I’ve had.

In conclusion I can state that I should pay far more attention to whiskies like this when they come out. It’s been ages since I bought a cracker like this for my own collection, and every time I try something like this I regret that. What a whisky…

89/100

Clynelish 1995-2014, 19yo, Hogshead, 52.7%, Whisky-Fässle