A coastal and peaty single malt, the flagship expression from Clynelish boasts a fabulous flavour profile filled with its distinctive waxy notes. Clynelish is the successor to Brora which closed in 1983, which it is built opposite. A well rounded Highlander, though this expression is a bit less peaty than the Brora bottlings of yore.
Zesty, mandarin, tangerine. Smoky.
Quite light, great clarity. Orange, soft acidity. Dry oak. Mixed fruits, vanilla, leather.
Quite long, bitter sweetness developing, spicy oak.
This might be my new favorite coastal highland. Reminds me of Oban 14 but slightly smokier and more coastal. It's not as smooth as Oban but its stronger so for me that's a plus and it just has more flavor than Oban. One of my new favorites for sure. The Sugarbear
My all time favourite
All time favourite despite me being a massive peat-head. This is so subtle and gentle, you have to look for every single flavour (which are a lot) or you just cannot look at all and let the dram cuddle your senses. Waxy nose with zesty and marine notes, a gentle arrival which developes in intrigued sensations of fruit bouquets and leathery notes. The finish is an north highlands' typical, with a lovely final hint of milk cream.
Bought this on a whim but most likely overpaid a bit at $63 U.S. The salty finish was something I didn't anticipate, and was surprised by how much I liked it. A solid sweet and salty dram.
(Oh, wait) I have to set down this delicious dram of Clynelish 14 first. From a neat pour, the nose is slightly muddled at first; the orange tang is most prominent with some salt and smoke, and a hint of melted butter. After it opened up, I found more creamier notes like crème brulee and mixed berries and whipped cream. The palate is beautiful! Light, clean, and delightfully delicate with soft oaky citrus notes that trail into a glorious finish of smoked salt and dark cocoa. Downside? There is a faint soapiness in the palate, but you really have to look for it. A previous review stated color is added and it's chill filtered. Perhaps this would make a more interesting dram if color wasn't added and it was un-chill filtered. While I also like to see these statements on a bottle I'm drinking from, I must admit, it's not turning me away from this Clynelish!
