Clynelish 21 Years Old 1996 Cask #6523 (Signatory)

From the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 21 year old Clynelish, distilled in 1996, from cask 6523, bottled at 53.3%, one of 552 bottles. Clynelish is the waxy, maritime Highland single malt at the heart of Johnnie Walker Gold. A coastal maturation lends a faint brine to the waxy, oily spirit.

The spirit was made in copper stills for a coastal, waxy make, for the famous waxy texture at its heart. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the oily, coastal malt. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend tropical fruit while ellagitannins add a drying grip to the waxy malt. Active wood frames the citrus without smothering the waxy texture. The wax sits at the heart of the spirit, the cask building fruit and honey around it. Long ageing turns the fresh lemon towards candied orange, beeswax and tropical fruit. The clean, oily spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and honey over the wax.

At its natural 53.3% it is concentrated. Waxy honey, lemon and a savoury edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt. The finish is deep, waxy and maritime. This is an oily, maritime Highland single malt.