Clynelish 16 Year (2007), Gordon & MacPhail Cask 311259 for K&L
Whisky: Clynelish 16 Year (2007), Gordon & MacPhail Cask 311259 for K&L
Country/Region: Scotland/Highland
ABV: 55%
Cask: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Age: 16 Years (Distilled 2007, Bottled 23 Aug. 2023)
Nose: Citrusy and sweet, austere, woody and herbal— somewhat antiseptic at times with pine; gradually more nutty with marzipan and cookies.
Palate: Medium-bodied, syrupy at times, peppery and spirited occasionally; citrusy with marzipan and underlying nuttiness, herbal and woody.
Finish: Medium-length with powdered sugar and almond cookies.
Score: 6 (77)
Mental Image: Holiday Cookie Box
Narrative & Notes: Citrusy and bright with sidewalk chalk, cords of firewood, and a small rosemary bush. Lemon and herbal elements produced something akin to Pinesol with just a mild antiseptic quality. The aroma was austere with the gradual evolution to dry nutty Italian Wedding cookies or Animal Crackers. Medium-bodied with a syrupy mouthfeel that was almost waxy, but never quite coating in a paraffin-like way. The flavors ranged from citrusy hard candies and lemon zest to almond cookies and marzipan. Drying herbal and woody notions sat in the background with a touch of pine and rosemary, occasionally quite peppery and spirited which lingered onto the finish. The finish was medium length with a touch of powdered sugar and crumbly almond cookies.
Good, but not outstanding— this had all the citrus and herbs I have come to expect from Clynelish with a nice weight and oiliness on the palate. The nuttiness was unusual, perhaps driven by the refill sherry cask, which otherwise played a subordinate role to the malt. Delightful stuff, even if it felt a bit peppery and spirited to me on the back end— a quality that seemed to increase as some of the freshness and brightness faded.
Overall, not a bad whisky at all, even if it did not entirely tickle my fancy.
