About 11 months ago I visited Clynelish distillery with the male section of my in-laws. We’d been planning a trip to Scotland for years, but everybody kept having kids (me included) which meant leaving the family to fend for themselves for a couple of days was not really appreciated.

So, last year, it finally happened at the end of October. We visited the northern Highlands and made our way to Clynelish, Balblair and Old Pulteney. Of course, the idea was to pick up a bottle everywhere, and so we did. Unfortunately, Clynelish didn’t have a hand-fill available but they did have this one.

A small series including a Glenkinchie, Caol Ila and Cardhu as well as this Clynelish, bottled at cask strength, only available at the distillery at a steep price, but an even steeper price in the secondary market.

The bottle was shared in my bottle-share group, and the rest was quietly sipped by myself. Last week I decided it was time to get through the last couple of centiliters in the bottle.

American Oak Hogsheads, a slightly higher strength. Clynelish chosen to reflect the typical style of the distillery. Can’t go wrong, can it?

Sniff:
Incredibly waxy and very typical of Clynelish. Light, with some sweet heather, a bit of vanilla. It’s rather dry, with hay, oak shavings, dry barley too.

Sip:
The palate has a bit of a dry bite. Resin, wax, grape seed bitterness. Heather and marram grass too. Very Clynelish, a bit like an amped up version of the regular 14.

Swallow:
The finish brings a bit of fruitiness, like stewed strawberries. A long finish with waning oak and lingering wax.

This does exactly what you want it to do. It is quintessential Clynelish with a huge focus on the heather and wax notes that make the distillery so popular. Rather spectacular whisky.

90/100

Available at the distillery (at least it was in June, according to others) and in the secondary market at hugely inflated prices