Clynelish 25 Years Old 1995 Cask #11225 (Signatory)

The Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage bottled this Clynelish, a 25 year old, distilled in 1995, from cask 11225, bottled at 51%, one of 340 bottles. Clynelish is a Diageo distillery at Brora, prized by blenders for its oily, waxy malt. Two old Brora warehouses still stand on the site, a link to its silent neighbour.

Made in copper stills for a coastal, waxy make, giving the oily, candle wax character Clynelish is prized for. An Oloroso hogshead lent raisin and a savoury, nutty edge to the wax. Through the evaporative decades the oils concentrate, lactones and esters folding into mango, beeswax and a coastal salt. The unpeated make leans on texture and citrus, the cask adding depth. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. Clynelish wax and a maritime salt run through the maturing spirit. Active wood frames the citrus without smothering the waxy texture.

At a hearty 51% it carries real weight. 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 finish is long, waxy and citrussy. This is a coastal Highland single malt of rare texture.