Clynelish 50 Years Old 1972 Cask #5335 (Private Collection)

The Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail bottled this Clynelish, a 50 year old, distilled in 1972, from cask 5335, bottled at 58%, one of 135 bottles. Clynelish is the coastal Highland malt whose waxiness has made it a cult favourite. The famous wax is said to come from the build up in the distillery's feints receivers.

It was run through copper stills on Clynemilton Burn water, to build a waxy, coastal, citrussy spirit. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the waxy character to the fore. At a great, fragile age oxidation rules, sotolon lending maple and old oak as beeswax and a coastal salt linger. Clynelish wax and a maritime salt run through the maturing spirit. Clynelish is unpeated, its character built on texture, citrus and coast rather than smoke. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. The unpeated make leans on texture and citrus, the cask adding depth.

At cask strength 58% it is full bodied. An oily wax with citrus and brine, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Orange, beeswax and a maritime salt fill the middle. A long, oily finish ends on lemon and beeswax. This is a coastal Highland single malt of rare texture.