Clynelish 15 Years Old 1992 Cask #7200 (Blackadder)

The bottler Blackadder selected this Clynelish, a 15 year old, distilled in 1992, from cask 7200, bottled at 46%, one of 150 bottles. Clynelish is a coastal Highland distillery at Brora in Sutherland, famous for its waxy single malt. Most of its make goes to blending, with a fourteen year old the flagship single malt.

It was drawn off three wash and three spirit stills, building the cult Clynelish waxiness. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the soft oak letting the waxy citrus lead. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (orange and pineapple) over the deepening wax. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. Two old Brora warehouses still stand on the site, a link to its silent neighbour. The wax sits at the heart of the spirit, the cask building fruit and honey around it. Clynelish wax and a maritime salt run through the maturing spirit.

At an approachable 46% it is balanced. Waxy honey, lemon and a savoury edge, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A beeswax and a savoury edge give it depth. The close is long, wax over a citrus lift. This is Clynelish's oily, coastal Highland style.