Clynelish 15 Years Old 1995 Cask #1469 (Samaroli)

From the bottler Samaroli, a 15 year old Clynelish, distilled in 1995, from cask 1469, bottled at 45%, one of 531 bottles. Clynelish is the coastal Highland malt whose waxiness has made it a cult favourite. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the waxy, oily spirit.

The spirit was made in copper stills for a coastal, waxy make, for an oily, lemony make with a savoury edge. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the wax. At oxidative maturity vanillin and lactones are fully expressed, the wax and citrus at their best. Clynelish wax and a maritime salt run through the maturing spirit. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the oily, waxy malt. The lost Brora distillery beside it, closed in 1983, was revived by Diageo in 2021. Its waxy character, a candle wax and beeswax texture, is prized above almost any other by blenders. It is the heart malt of Johnnie Walker Gold Label, and a sought after single malt in its own right.

Reduced to 45%, it is supple. Waxy honey, lemon and a savoury edge, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Orange, beeswax and a maritime salt fill the middle. Citrus, wax and a faint brine see out the finish. This is Clynelish, the wax of the Sutherland coast.