Clynelish 20 Years Old 1996 Artist Collective #1.3 (LMDW)

From the Paris house La Maison du Whisky, a 20 year old Clynelish, distilled in 1996, bottled at 48%, one of 1030 bottles. Clynelish makes the celebrated waxy, oily Highland malt on the far north east coast at Brora. Two old Brora warehouses still stand on the site, a link to its silent neighbour.

The spirit was drawn off three wash and three spirit stills, 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. Refill oak lets the famous Clynelish wax lead, lemon and honey beneath. The wax sits at the heart of the spirit, the cask building fruit and honey around it. The cool, salt laden coastal air works into the maturing casks at Brora. Most of its make goes to blending, with a fourteen year old the flagship single malt.

At cask strength 48% it is full bodied. Candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A lemon, a brine and a thick wax lift it. The close is long, wax over a citrus lift. This is a coastal Highland single malt of rare texture.