Clynelish 17 Years Old 1998 Cask #7776 + 7777 (Signatory)

The Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage bottled this Clynelish, a 17 year old, distilled in 1998, from cask 7776 + 7777, bottled at 43%. Clynelish is a waxy, citrussy Highland single malt from the village of Brora. The distillery was built in 1967 next to the original Clynelish of 1819, which was renamed Brora and later closed.

The spirit was worked through the tall stills for a citrussy, oily spirit, to build a waxy, coastal, citrussy spirit. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and honey behind the wax. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, lemon turning to candied orange over a thick, oily wax. The clean, oily spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and honey over the wax. The unpeated make leans on texture and citrus, the cask adding depth. Most of its make goes to blending, with a fourteen year old the flagship single malt. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the wax.

Bottled at 43%, it is rounded. Candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Beneath it run candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt. A long, oily finish ends on lemon and beeswax. This is a coastal Highland single malt of rare texture.