Clynelish, Clynelish, Clynelish… We use to say it’s one of our favorite distilleries, but we’ve never reviewed the official 14 yo! Let’s put an end to this shame and let’s talk about the only expression in the distillery’s core range: yes, because the vast majority of the spirit produced is used for Diageo’s blended whiskies, first of all Johnnie Walker Black. The colour is light golden.
N: Clynelish 14 yo is the best starting point for an expedition to the wild world of the Highlands malts, because in this dram you can basically recognize every typical element of this Scotch style. First of all, a mineral and earthy austerity, a discrete but pushy peat and some minty notes (eucalyptus, pine resin). And last but least to complete the picture, the true Clynelish hallmark: a magnificent wax. Is this the end? Absolutely not, because here we enter the valley of sugars: toffee, yellow fruits, raisins, orange marmalade, lemonade… A monster of delicate complexity. Loads of nuts (walnuts, hazelnuts). Nothing missing here!
P: it shows a top player personality. A nice compact body with thousands shades of flavors. It’s again austere with mineral suggestions: a coastal seaworthiness, a gorgeous hint of eucalyptus (eucalyptus honey, to be precise) and lemony whiffs. Then toffee and loads of honey: the subtle peat takes a step back and everything turns more malty and oily (walnuts).
F: wonderfully clean, long and persistent, with wax, malt, nuts, oak and a pleasant comeback of light smoke.
Comparing this whisky to a football player, this Clynelish 14 yo is like Paul Scholes: a low profile champion more than a flamboyant player. Zero unnecessary frills, fire and brimstone in midfield and a deadly right foot. It’s not an easy whisky, but it’s able to dissimulate its complexity with modesty (with “sprezzatura”, Baldassare Castiglione would have said…). It’s a respectable malt, what we consider the difference between average and excellent whiskies: 88/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Violent Femmes – I hear the rain.
