Clynelish 12 Years Old 2013 Cask ##327401 (James Eadie)

This Clynelish was bottled by the bottler James Eadie, a 12 year old, distilled in 2013, from cask #327401, bottled at 51.8%, one of 355 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 distilled for the waxy, oily spirit Clynelish is known for, for the famous waxy texture at its heart. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the soft oak letting the waxy citrus lead. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the waxy body oilier and softer. The wax sits at the heart of the spirit, the cask building fruit and honey around it. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the waxy, citrussy core over the years. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. Active wood frames the citrus without smothering the waxy texture.

Bottled at a cask strength 51.8%, it is rich. Candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Orange, beeswax and a maritime salt fill the middle. It finishes oily, waxy and bright. This is Clynelish's oily, coastal Highland style.