Clynelish 21 Years Old 1979 Cask #8333 (The Bottlers)

A 21 year old Clynelish from the bottler The Bottlers, distilled in 1979, from cask 8333, bottled at 62.3%. Clynelish is a waxy, citrussy Highland single malt from the village of Brora. The original Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford during the Highland Clearances.

Run through copper stills on Clynemilton Burn water, building the cult Clynelish waxiness. Ex-Sherry wood added a dried fruit richness to the waxy spirit. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, lemon turning to candied orange over a thick, oily wax. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. Water comes from the Clynemilton Burn, the spirit drawn off three wash and three spirit stills. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the oily, waxy malt. Active wood frames the citrus without smothering the waxy texture. The lost Brora distillery beside it, closed in 1983, was revived by Diageo in 2021.

Bottled at a cask strength 62.3%, it is rich. Waxy honey, lemon and a savoury edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A beeswax and a savoury edge give it depth. The finish runs waxy, coastal and clean. This is a waxy, citrussy Highland single malt.