Whisky: Clynelish 19 Year (1995), Duncan Taylor Lonach Collection

Country/Region: Scotland/Highland

ABV: 46%

Cask: Oak

Age: 19 Years (Distilled 1995, Bottled 2015)

Nose: Citrus and chalk, lemon and oranges, lime leaves, minerals, lemon bundt cake, dried leaves, a hint of maple and hard candies with a kiss of salt.

Palate: Medium to light-bodied, citrusy and herbal with a mellow minerality and oak, lemon hard candies, orange bundt cake, mineral water with a kiss of salt, vaguely coastal with dried grass and stone.

Finish: Medium-length and mellow with citrus, oak, and a hint of salt.

Score: 6+ (79)

Mental Image: Mediterranean Getaway

Narrative & Notes:  Mellow, mild, and very enjoyable, though this Clynelish lacked some of the waxiness for which the 1990s vintages are well-known.  It was not a very complex affair, but the citrus and vaguely coastal flavors were well-integrated and balanced.  Sure, some additional complexity might have come through at cask strength, or a bit of waxiness may have appeared.  But this was fine; there was a touch of pepper, which left me wondering if it was not a bit hot at cask strength and needed the lower proof to cool down sufficiently.  The wood influence was minimal on the malt, and it must have been matured in a well-used hogshead with little to give.

Overall, a delightfully mild affair. Perfect for summertime sipping.

Image Credit: Whiskybase

About Clynelish

An essential malt. Official distillery releases are accessible and a gateway to the eccentricities of releases from independent bottlers. Releases have been generally available and common, though, at least in the case of independent bottlers, that may have already begun to change as the distillery holds onto more whisky to support its own products during the ongoing whisky boom.

Clynelish opened in 1819, but wait, that is the wrong Clynelish… Imagine there was a distillery called Clynelish, and then a new distillery was built next door, also called Clynelish. That was precisely what happened in 1967 when Clynelish B opened next to Clynelish A, sometimes called Old Clynelish and New Clynelish or Clynelish 1 and 2. The confusing situation did not last long, as Old Clynelish was mothballed in 1968 and reopened to a limited extent in 1969 under the name Brora. However, this was not entirely a new name, as locals had long used it to refer to the old distillery.

The distillery ranks among Scotland's top 25 largest by theoretical capacity. It might very well be getting close to producing 4.8 million liters annually, as the distillery currently operates seven days a week. Even with the constant production, it maintains an 85-hour fermentation regime for the malt, which allows more of the fruitier, sometimes even tropical, flavors to emerge. Notably, Clynelish underwent extensive renovations and refurbishment in 2017, after which some of the waxy character, for which the distillery is well-known, disappeared. After about six months, it came back and within a year was in line with the pre-renovation spirit, so it will be interesting to compare new and old spirit, or malts from the intermediate period in late 2017-early 2018.

Style: Citrus, Honey, Wax, Grassy, occasionally Coastal