Clynelish 35 Years Old 1990 Cask #3505 (Signatory)

This Clynelish was bottled by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 35 year old, distilled in 1990, from cask 3505, bottled at 40.6%, one of 63 bottles. Clynelish, built in 1967 beside the old Brora distillery, is known for its signature waxy texture. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the waxy, oily spirit.

It was drawn off three wash and three spirit stills, giving the oily, candle wax character Clynelish is prized for. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed vanilla. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and old oak as beeswax and a coastal salt linger. Long ageing turns the fresh lemon towards candied orange, beeswax and tropical fruit. Two old Brora warehouses still stand on the site, a link to its silent neighbour. It is the heart malt of Johnnie Walker Gold Label, and a sought after single malt in its own right.

At 40.6%, undiluted, it is deep and waxy. Beeswax, honey and a coastal freshness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A lemon, a brine and a thick wax lift it. A long, waxy finish carries an orange sweetness. This is an oily, maritime Highland single malt.