Whisky Review: Clynelish 14
Clynelish is a malt whisky distillery located on the eastern coast of the Northern Highlands of Scotland, in the village of Brora. The original Clynelish distillery was founded in 1819 and operated until a new distillery, the current Clynelish, was opened in 1968. The original distillery didn’t stay closed for long. A whisky shortage on the Isle of Islay (due to a drought) resulted in the need for heavily-peated whisky (primarily used in blended whisky at the time). To meet this need, the original distillery was reopened and renamed Brora. The Brora distillery remained in operation until 1983, when it was closed for good.
Today, Brora whisky is one of the most sought after (and expensive) single malt whiskies on the planet. In the meantime, the current Clynelish distillery has remained in operation since it opened in 1968. For a long time it was used mainly as a component in blended whisky (which it still is), but eventually became a well known and respected single malt in its own right. You can read more about the distillery’s history on the Malt Madness website.
The most common bottling of Clynelish is their 14 year old, which was originally released by Diageo (the drinks giant which owns the distillery) as part of their core range in 2002.
Type: Single Malt Scotch
Region: Highlands
ABV: 46%
Nose: Floral notes of heather, lavender, and lilac. Honey. Salt. Brine. Light fruits. Peanuts. Wax. A sea-soaked stone. Lovely. Really opens up with a drop of water.
Palate: On the arrival, honey, orchard fruits, and floral notes. Beeswax. Pear. A light touch of peat. The floral element is really pronounced through the mid-palate, but fades on the backend. Cinnamon candy develops the longer you let the whisky linger in your mouth. Thick, creamy, and waxy mouthfeel.
Finish: Pear. Figs. Peach. Honey. Maple. Cinnamon. Touch of peat. Slight sour note and a little bitter, which diminishes the overall experience a bit.
Overall: This has a lot of the flavors typically associated with the Highland region—honey and heather in particularly. Generally speaking, I’m not a huge fan of this flavor profile, at least not when it’s dominant. But in the case of Clynelish, these elements compliment the distillery characteristics quite well. It’s both similar to other Highland whiskies, and yet completely unique.
To appreciate this whisky, you really need to take your time with it. I’ve heard people say that when drinking whisky, you should hold the liquid in your mouth for X number of seconds, where X equals the number of years the whisky was aged. So in this case, you should hold the whisky for 14 seconds or so in your mouth. I’m not sure where this idea came from, and I find it hard to believe that it’s particularly scientific, but it really does work in this case. Once you’ve held the whisky in your mouth for a good 10-15 seconds, a cinnamon candy flavor comes out of nowhere and really takes over the palate. It’s quite nice.
Unfortunately the sour/bitter note on the finish brings this down a notch overall. It’s not terrible, but it’s the difference between being a good whisky vs. a great whisky. Still, this is quite enjoyable overall and always a welcome addition to my whisky cabinet.
Buy again? Yes.
Score: 84/100
Questions about my scoring system? Refer to the Review Method & Scoring Scale page.
