In a series of a number of Distillery Exclusives, this Clynelish 12 year old is the last for now. We already had this enjoyable Aberlour and a very nice Dalwhinnie, but this Clynelish was the one I was looking forward to the most. It’s one of my favourite distilleries so this 12 year old was very high on my list to buy.
A few years ago, filling your own bottle was possible for the first time at the Highland Whisky Festival (2019), where I bought this Clynelish which I really liked. But it was not yet clear at the time that this would really become a permanent option at the distillery. Little did we know then, because now this is even possible at almost all Diageo distilleries, at least those with a visitor centre.
And as I’ve said before, I think it’s is a very nice addition to the previous standard distillery exclusives that were released by Diageo. Not only do I think these taste much better, but it’s also a nicer experience if you can fill a bottle yourself. That makes it just that little bit more special, right?
This Clynelish has matured in ex-bourbon casks and is bottled at a strength of 59.8% ABV.
Clynelish 12 year old tasting notes:
Nose: plenty of pears at first. A lovely waxy note and minerals. Oranges and a hint of apricots. Vanilla custard, which is followed by lemon sponge cake. Then some honey too.
Taste: lemons, but also oranges. Vanilla custard again. Werther’s Original. And also that lovely waxy note, which is followed by some spices such as crushed black pepper, cloves and a hint of ginger.
Finish: mid-long with oranges, pink peppercorns, liquorice and a little bit of mint.
A beautiful and nicely balanced Clynelish. Very tasteful and those typical Clynelish elements are well present. Yes, this is right up my alley, just simply delicious!
