Tasting 4 more Clynelishes

Another session of Clynelish, but with higher strengths, and from IB's of which I more often find the casks that life would be a little poorer without.










Clynelish 16yo 1993-2009 56.5% Alambic Classique

From a cask with an output of only 156 bottles, perhaps a bourbon hogshead then. No information on the label. Alambic Classique usually has great whisky. White wine color. It smells bitter, fino-ish, lime, minty, cactus, very strong and bitter. This needs some water, I have put aside some to try neat later, but for now, I'll add some water because I sense a whisky that is so spirity it'll numb my tastebuds for long enough time. The taste with water added is coconut, vanilla, grape soda, caramel, peat, even coastal, salty peanuts, great stuff. The finish is peaty, sweet and long.

Great stuff, classic clynelish: 7.5


Clynelish 11yo 1995-2006 57.8% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#2775

A great IB, one of my favs, but that doesn't mean all produce is good. And I believe that is what's so fun about whisky and other drinks like wine or rum. If you take beer, or even coca-cola, the recipe is easy and creating a consistent product for mass production is easy. But with single malt whisky, the weather, the kind of cask, the time, in cask, the peat level, the tightness of the cask, the temperature in which the casks are being stored and more all plays in on the final product. Therefore, I think single malt whisky is a much more exciting produce. This is the youngster of todays pack, fine by me, young whiskies can be great too! Golden honeyed color. It smells paprika, mustard seeds, burnt, apple cores. A demanding nose. Wow! an extreme sense of fish, dried herring especially on the palate, I can't remember ever getting this sensation before. Mustard too and peaty it is. Cigar smoke, licorice.

It's a great whisky: 8


Clynelish 22yo 1989-2001 58% James MacArthur's Old Master's cask#1122

Another single cask whisky, twice the age of the prior one I had. And at an even higher strength! light golden hue. It smells light, peppery, sweet, but very mundane. I can't get much more information from nosing this one, unfortunately. The taste is whipped cream and eggnogs at first, but once its swallowed it turns burnt and bitter. Some water added. Now it turns sweetr, lighter, still eggnogs and whipped cream plus some vanilla, heather and marshmallows. I think its a great whisky for any newbie to the stuff, but it lacks a bit of strong, peaty, spicy... well lets just call it complexity.

Great everyday dram: 7 (with added water)


Clynelish 13yo 1989-2003 60.6% Blackadder Raw Cask cask#6088

I love the small cask sediments in these whiskies, but unfortunately there's close to none in this one. The color is light golden. It smells burnt, acidic, phenolic, not pleasant at all. The taste is peppery and burnt, cigars, oak, very light and easy whisky, though pepper and cigars might not seem so. Its just lacking some real flavors, its a bit like a cheap blend at CS. Water added. Now it turns sweeter, corn starch and butter, some wheat loaf bread and dry oak.

All in all, this was the most unpleasant one of the bunch: 3



Next tasting: Benrinnes Distillery