Clynelish 1996 16 Year Old The Whiskyman & Lindores Whisky Society

Clynelish 16yo 1996-2012 52.3% (The Whiskyman & Lindores Whisky Society) Refill Bourbon Hogshead. One of 239 bottles

Sometimes samples are helpful. True, I might not be “tuned into” this bottle . . . but I can tell from this sample that I would not enjoy this journey. This is another sample from a batch my wife picked out for me. It sounds interesting and curious: a cask strength 16 year old Clynelish from a single cask? Sounds like a winner. Let us see . . .

Nose: Very sharp and sour greets the nose. Much higher citrus tones then the standard Clynelish 14yo. One moment I think it is a lemon creamsicle, the next I think it is woody and grassy with a slight bit of peat. It definitely has more power and bite then the 14yo, but it is also more focused. Were the 14yo is a broad baritone this is a piercing high soprano. The lemon rind really dominates the upper register here. With more time the bourbon vanilla influence comes out. So basically lemon on top; vanilla fruit on the bottom – but the fruit is very vague. The bottom is still much higher then the highs of the 14yo. I am marking this down because it is just so sour. Peat is only a mere whisper of a memory.

Taste: Sweeter then expected. This is almost Splenda sweetened. Now there is the lemon. After a few moments some fruit emerges oddly: oranges, and apples

Finish: A nice intake of breath . . . now the fire, salt, citrus, and tart lemon arrive. This is a focused attack on a particular area of the tonal whisky spectrum. Mostly sour like the standard Clynelish. No real hint of peat or smoke here. This is mostly waxy austere fruit from the Highlands.

Complexity, Balance: Not all that complex. It is actually quite focused and un-enjoyable in a way I am very surprised by. It was the least “broad” drink of the night – and at cask strength none the less! The fruit was not all that well balanced: the sweet and sour seemed out of sorts.

Aesthetic experience: Looking at the label . . . purple lettering on parchment . . . I don’t love that. I liked the age and ABV, but I don’t like the choice of casks. The color is light gold/straw-ish which seems to say “over used cask.”

Conclusion: So every now and then I get enthralled with the idea of “recreating Brora” from a mixture of Clynelish and . . . something peaty and farmy. So I am on the constant look out for a “farmy” style malt that is peaty to blend with the waxy base that is Clynelish. But that means I need a typical standard Clynelish. And for me that means one at cask strength. Sadly, this is not it – not even in the ballpark of what I am looking for. But I was happy to try it.

Find where to buy Clynelish whisky