Clynelish 21 Years Old 1995 Cask #8688 (Signatory)

This Clynelish was bottled by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 21 year old, distilled in 1995, from cask 8688, bottled at 51.2%, one of 591 bottles. Clynelish stands on the North Sea coast at Brora, the modern neighbour of the lost Brora distillery. Most of its make goes to blending, with a fourteen year old the flagship single malt.

Run through copper stills on Clynemilton Burn water, for an oily, lemony make with a savoury edge. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the oily, coastal malt. At oxidative maturity vanillin and lactones are fully expressed, the wax and citrus at their best. The waxy, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its citrus and coast. The original Clynelish was founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford during the Highland Clearances. Years in oak round the spirit, the citrus deepening to orange and tropical fruit.

At a full 51.2% it is bold yet waxy. A thick wax over orchard fruit and citrus, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A beeswax and a savoury edge give it depth. A long, oily finish ends on lemon and beeswax. This is the famously waxy Highland malt of Clynelish.