This is a very interesting Clynelish, a bipolar world of reviews, some criticised it to as low as 60 points whilst some praised it to a magnificent 94 points over Whiskybase. I’ve tasted this before back in early January last year, it doesn’t impressed me at all during that time when the bottle just opened and poured. I’ve shared this bottle quite a lot with friends and the rest I just let itself oxidised inside the bottle. Tonight, I revisited this Clynelish and to my surprise it turns out to be a astonishing dram.
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Clynelish 1995 - 23 years old - Signatory Vintage - Refilled Sherry butt - cask # 11236 - 57.7% ABV - 607 bottles.
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Pour and let it breathe for 30 minutes.
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Nose: Salty, wood ash, oranges peel, caramelised toffee, toasted bread, meaty, yeast dough and hints of gingers. With drops of water brings out some waxy, pear juice, maybe some engine oil. The Clynelish distillate definitely there to stay which is good. (85/100)
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Palate: Oily, waxy, leathery on arrival. Orange marmalade, pears, salty, ginger and brine. Water brings out tobacco, more leathery now, sweetness of oranges and saltiness of sweats before fading out to a bit tannins. (86/100)
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Finish: Mid-long. Tobacco bitterness, briefcase leathery, cane sugar sweetness, brine saltiness, with some pines and nuttiness. (86/100)
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Overall: This baby need time to breathe, water to shine and most important is patience to sip. No, cannot be 60 or 94 points. (86/100)

From Bottle to Dram. Every dram is filled with stories.