Clynelish 14 Year Old

Floral, Nutty, Hay Like
2022-10-09

For a long time, Clynelish produced almost exclusively for blends, among others for Johnnie Walker. Meanwhile, a 14 and a 16 year old bottling are offered. We take a look at what the younger of the two has to offer.
The distillery run under the name Clynelish is actually still comparatively young. Clynelish was founded by the Duke of Sutherland in 1819 and was to be replaced by a new building in 1967. For a short time, Clynelish A (1819) and Clynelish B (1967) existed in parallel, with Clynelish A being renamed Brora after a short break in operations and the newer Clynelish B now being called Clynelish.

Smell

"I smell spring and there's a horse stable in there" was Marcel's first statement. And indeed. We perceive strong hay-like and flowery smells. Definitely a floral environment. There is also a bit of sugar.

Taste

It tastes quite different from what it smells like. The path perceived in the nose through the flower meadow led directly to the beach. Oily-soft but still light, we taste sea salt, think of shells by the sea. Light citrus fruits can be found in the sand dune. Impressive and unexpected.

Finish

The finish is unfortunately only a short sea breeze. A little sweetish, but still dominantly salty.

Thoughts

Apart from the fact that we would have expected a different taste after the nose, the almost absence of the typical Highland notes of dried oak and vanilla is if anything minimally noticeable. Exciting. Definitely worth a dram.

Rating: 79/100 - Very Good (Marcel: 78 | Sascha: 80)

Value for Money: 4/5 - Good

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Preview Image Source: The Whisky Exchange