Clynelish 1992

12 year old Highland 60.1 % vol

1 of only 272 bottles from cask 15100

An old favourite (and also of Professor Saintsbury, author of the seminal ‘Notes to a Cellar Book’ (1926)). Clynelish Distillery is situated on the north-east coast of Scotland, in the village of Brora. Its make is unique, and this is an excellent example. It is drawn from an American oak refill cask and is mid-gold in colour. The nose is immediately maritime (iodine and traces of seaweed), with a hint of tea and scented smoke (Lapsang Suchong?), and sweet ‘runny honey’ or pink marshmallows. Only when you add water does a light waxiness emerge (the key-note for this whisky), rather like waxed paper, there is an elusive scent that reminded us of drying rooms (complete with soap powder), and a faint whiff of scented smoke. The wax really comes into its own in the teeth-coating mouth-feel; the flavour is lightly sweet, then acidic then gently dry, with fragrant smoke in the finish.

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