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Kensington Wine Market's 2023 Whisky Calendar UBER EDITION Day 14 - SMOS Clynelish 26 Year

Posted on December 14, 2023

by Evan.

As far as I can tell, this might be the only Clynelish Single Malt Scotch that has made its way into a KWM Whisky Calendar so far. This is a little bit frustrating for me, because it means I cannot liberally copy and paste content from a prior blog post I have written. Instead, I have to write this from scratch!

Enough about my woes, though. I am sure tasting this whisky after I write the post will soothe all of the so-hard-done-by feelings I am having now. I have heard great things about this bottle from others, so let's get this Clynelish write-up done and move on to the dram!

I have written bits and pieces of content regarding Clynelish in the past, but indirectly, as most of that content had to do with Compass Box. That is a good place to start talking about Clynelish, though, because blenders LOVE this whisky.

Remember the talk about Glen Grant No. 2 – I mean Caperdonich Distillery – back on Day Seven of the UBER Calendar? Well, the Clynelish we will taste today is essentially from Clynelish No. 2. In this version of the distillery story, It is Clynelish No. 1 that gets the axe. This story has more of a happy ending though, because Clynelish No. 1 has just risen from the ashes. Or maybe we should call it Clynelish No. 3? We will decide that later.

Way back in 1819, a distillery named Clynelish was founded by the first Duke of Sutherland. The distillery remained in operation for more than a century, with the usual changes in ownership and such. In 1931, the distillery was mothballed and went silent for nearly three decades. Production did not resume until 1960.

This is where it gets interesting. Like with Glen Grant No 1. And No. 2, a SECOND Clynelish distillery was built right next door in 1967. However, one year later in August of 1968, it was Clynelish No. 1 that got the axe and was shut down. That first, original Clynelish distillery was reopened a year later, but under a different name and using peated malt. The new name for Clynelish Distillery No 1.: Brora.

Brora Distillery only remained in production until 1983, when it closed for good, or nearly for good. Since the closure, Brora has become one of the most highly sought-after and mythic of all closed distilleries, with plenty of Brora whisky enthusiasts needing increasingly deep pockets to chase more and more expensive releases of its whisky. Only Port Ellen – a closed Islay distillery – could match Brora for being so highly regarded and loved after it was already gone.

Brora Distillery officially reopened on May 21st, 2021, after being closed for more than 38 years. The original distillery has been rebuilt, and the old stills were refurbished thanks to heavy investment by owner Diageo. Port Ellen should be officially reopening soon as well…

Anyhow, Clynelish No. 2 is the official and only Clynelish Distillery and has been since 1969. The distillery has been running consistently since then, with closures and dormant periods only happening for cleaning and equipment upgrades. Also owned by Diageo, Clynelish distillery is heavily used for blending in the Johnnie Walker lineup – especially in the Johnnie Walker Gold Label. It is also heavily used by Compass Box in many of their releases. Clynelish’s whisky is loved by blenders and single malt lovers alike, and a lot of this has to do with the relatively unique waxy and honeyed profile of its spirit. That may sound weird, and I am probably underselling it. Just trust me when I tell you that Clynelish has just as big a cult of whisky lovers as Brora and Port Ellen do…

The bottle of Clynelish we are tasting today is a 26-year-old from The Single Malts of Scotland / Elixir Distillers. The whisky was distilled in 1995 and matured in one single ex-Sherry Butt before being bottled at 50.7%. Let’s dive in!

Single Malts of Scotland - Clynelish 1995 Cask 8659 - 26 Year Old – 50.7%

Evan’s Tasting Note

Nose: Like afternoon tea with a side of biscotti. Notes of old leatherbound books, waxy fruit notes, honey, hot-cross buns, dried apricots, grilled pineapple and Japanese sesame sauce for Shabu Shabu hot pot.

Palate: Nutty and spicy with more toasted sesame notes as well as fruit leather, apple cider, canned peaches in syrup, sweet potato fries, honey glaze, and a touch of dried basil and oregano.

Finish: Warm and dry on the way down with fruit leather, honey and spice.

Comment: More nutty and sesame notes than I was expecting, but the typical Clynelish waxiness is there.

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Facebook & Instagram: @sagelikefool

You can find all blog posts for the UBER EDITION of Kensington Wine Market’s 2023 Whisky Calendar Here

This entry was posted in Whisky, Whisky Calendars, Independent Bottler, KWM Whisky Calendar 2023 UBER EDITION

 

 

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