Clynelish 25 Years Old 1983 Cask #2694 (Signatory)

The Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage selected this Clynelish, a 25 year old, distilled in 1983, from cask 2694, bottled at 46%, one of 232 bottles. Clynelish is a coastal Highland distillery at Brora in Sutherland, famous for its waxy single malt. It is the heart malt of Johnnie Walker Gold Label, and a sought after single malt in its own right.

It was worked through the tall stills for a citrussy, oily spirit, giving the oily, candle wax character Clynelish is prized for. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the oily, coastal spirit. Through the evaporative decades the oils concentrate, lactones and esters folding into mango, beeswax and a coastal salt. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the oily, waxy malt. The clean, oily spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and honey over the wax. Its waxy character, a candle wax and beeswax texture, is prized above almost any other by blenders.

Reduced to 46%, it is supple. Candle wax, tangerine and a maritime lift, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The texture is thick and oily, the wax coating the palate. A long, oily finish ends on lemon and beeswax. This is the cult waxy malt of Brora.