Clynelish 7 Years Old 2008 Cask #DMG 10771 (Douglas McGibbon)

The bottler Douglas McGibbon bottled this Clynelish, a 7 year old, distilled in 2008, from cask DMG 10771, bottled at 46%. Clynelish makes the celebrated waxy, oily Highland malt on the far north east coast at Brora. Its waxy character, a candle wax and beeswax texture, is prized above almost any other by blenders.

Drawn off three wash and three spirit stills, building the cult Clynelish waxiness. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla over the oily spirit. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and lactones a coconut, the wax and citrus fresh and lively. The wax sits at the heart of the spirit, the cask building fruit and honey around it. Active wood frames the citrus without smothering the waxy texture. The oily, waxy texture is the signature that blenders prize above all. Clynelish is unpeated, its character built on texture, citrus and coast rather than smoke.

At an approachable 46% it is balanced. Candle wax, lemon and a coastal salt, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft citrus and a honeyed wax sit behind the cask. Citrus, wax and a faint brine see out the finish. This is an oily, maritime Highland single malt.