Clynelish 2010 Single Cask Nation Review

Hi everyone,

You may have noticed a particular pinned post on r/Scotch today… We are doing an AMA! The first one in a while I think.

In honour of my friends from Single Cask Nation coming to join us and answer our questions, I have a review of a special whisky. This bottle of Clynelish was a birthday present from Joshua himself and he signed it too!

These guys bottle some fantastic whisky and I’ve been lucky enough to be on their podcast, One Nation Under Whisky, which was super fun. See you on Tuesday at 3pm EST for the AMA!!

 

Clynelish 2010 Single Cask Nation 58.1%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Light, ethereal and oily. Perfumed and candle waxy, marshmallow, creamy nose, white florals- Lily, Ylang Ylang, some orange blossom, chewy sweets like the white undersides of Haribo eggs.

Water: Instantly creamier, white chocolate truffles with the gooey white chocolate insides, melting marshmallow, dried banana chips, foam banana sweets.

Taste: Ethereal but full flavoured, plenty of creamy oils and perfumed white florals, some malt in there too, a little spice (white pepper) balancing nicely with a touch of dry oak. Really lovely young whisky with interesting notes and an excellent development and mouthfeel.

Water: Softer, less power, more malt, almost slightly earthy, excellent minerality coming out, clean as a blade. Lovely.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Fizzy tingling spices and oak leaving some of the oils. Not quite as excellent here.

Bottled at 9yo from a Bourbon barrel. The lightness and delicacy combined with the fullness and power is really interesting and well done.

80/100

 

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #860

Whisky Network Review #1034

Network Average: 75.2

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

 

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 1974 Signatory Dumpy [Review #1000!]

Hi everyone,

Here we are, the big four digits at last!

It has been a long road but I can’t say it’s been a hard one. I still love tasting whisky, making notes and sharing my thoughts. What is there more to say than that?

 

This was the other whisky I tasted in Feathers Pub in Toronto. I knew to taste this because u/TOModera had done notes on this one and said that he thought it was a Brora. I planned to taste the Lord of the Isles Ardbeg after this but decided not to. I’d found what I was looking for.

Clynelish 1974 Signatory Dumpy 55.7%

Colour: Gold

Body: Full

Nose: Immediately stunning. A shit tonne of amazing complexity, balance and power! Oils for days, waxy with pine smoke, Lapsang Souchong, burnt wood, lemon sherbet, a little BBQ pit. Liquorice and an incredibly good medicinal edge that cuts through, white pepper, bandages, nice chilli heat, some white florals coming in now with minerality. More calpol and earthy notes coming through after a bit. Could literally just sit here and smell it for hours.

Water: Darker, brooding and more earthy, burnt florals, singed heather, leather and dark chocolate.

Taste: Clean arrival, pure lemon, some oak, white pepper then kicks up several notches into transendant territory with big medicinal peat perfectly balanced by the clean lemon and minerals. So damn good. Ridiculously oily and satisfying. Super drinkable.

Water: Softer and rounder and darker. More malty, more oily and waxy, so balanced it almost hurts!, incredible mouthfeel, not as dry, heather. Still powerful. Pine smoke.

Finish: Long length. Arrrgh! Fucking hell its amazing! Really makes the dram. Quite dry with white pepper and minerality, late earthy note but clean finish. Earthy leather and some malt.

Bottled 2001 at 27yo. No WAY this was distilled at Clynelish! A freight train of a whisky with everything I look for. Really sings!

My scoring has been brought up again and again by folks that don’t quite understand my harsher lower scores. But when you come across really, really good whisky you just know it, you can’t help it. Truly exceptional whisky hits you in the face and goes to something right at the core of you.

93/100

A big thank you to everyone that reads these reviews! I started on Reddit and I still love the amazing community that we’ve created here. Being in the whisky industry has allowed my to try some amazing stuff and, though it sometimes comes with complications, I wouldn’t change it for the world. I still remember a time, not long ago at all, when I was little more than tour guide that enjoyed whisky and wanted to try more. I would never have dreamed that I would taste 1000 whiskies, let alone the ones that I have. I feel extremely lucky every single day.

Cheers!

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #835

Whisky Network Review #1000

Network Average: 75.2

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as the Global Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish Reserve- Game of Thrones House Tyrell Review

Hi everyone,

You may have noticed that Diageo brought out some whiskies with mythical, strange creatures on the labels that seem to be something to do with a tv series.

I was not excited for these whiskies. I didn’t really care. I had a funny feeling that the whole thing was a marketing exercise and a way of pushing ‘collectable’ whisky that they had no intention of limiting, therefore making it redundant. I also had a funny feeling that, where they could, Diageo would just use whiskies that they were releasing already and, where they were not, it gives them a handy excuse to get rid of certain stocks they don’t want.

The one whisky that held some semblance of hope was the Clynelish, because its good whisky and it was at a decent strength.

Some history though; the reason that many of us love Clynelish is for its waxy and oily character, that some have said comes from the fact that Daigeo never cleaned out the spirit safe, like since Clynelish 2 started in the late sixties.

Diageo cleaned that spirit safe a few years back. I can’t remember exactly when, but I heard it from a few different sources. And I have another funny feeling that this whisky is the result and, if not, just substandard.

Clynelish Game of Thrones House Tyrell 51.2%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Light

Nose: Light, floral, young, malty. Not a lot of complexity

Taste: Soft, floral, spirity and young, some chocolate and orange.

Finish: Short length. More malty and some spice and spirit

Quite a young Clyn with none of the waxy and oiliness I would expect.

64/100

Thanks for reading!

Updated Distillery Rankings

Scotch Review #786

Whisky Network Review #933

Network Average: 75.1

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 24 TBWC Review

Hi everyone,

There ain’t much old Clynelish out there. What is out there is normally crazy expensive but get good reviews.

This one is an old Clynelish. This one was crazy expensive (50cl bottles remember). And was very graciously given by Dave at That Boutique-y again (many thanks).

 

Clynelish 24 TBWC 49.7%

Colour: Straw

Body: Medium

Nose: Light and delicate, lemon, heady perfume, sea salt, vanilla, beeswax and coffee, very light wood smoke and some oily wax.

Taste: Very dry, oak then light with perfume and beeswax, pine, outdoorsy woodland walk (Is it just me, or are my notes getting more subjective and pretentious?) then lots of salt and oily wax comes in.

Finish: Long. Very oily, lots of white pepper, lots of very dry oak and chalk.

Is it nice Clynelish? Yes. But felt like the oak has gotten the better of it just a little. It’s restrained and nose is a little light for me. Also, I’m not a fan of the label on this one.

77/100

Distillery: Clynelish

Average Score: 79.5

Distillery Ranking: 10th/65 places

Up/Down: 10>12 (Down 2)

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #651

Whisky Network Review #776

Network Average: 75.0

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 1997 Carn Mor (Sherry Cask) Review

Hi everyone,

This was a bottling I’ve wanted to try for a while. Big strength, Sherry cask, 1997 Clynelish. What’s not to like?

Luckily for me I’ve been at the whisky festival Noord Nederland in Groningen, which felt more like a crazy party weekend than work. Great, great festival though with a great bunch of awesome people. Not often I give an 89, 92 and 94 within 2 days either!

 

Clynelish 1997 Carn Mor 57%

Colour: Amber

Body: Light/Medium

Nose: Not what I expected at all! Meaty yet light and floral, pomegranate, sour green apple, freshly washed linen, raspberry and black pepper. Fragrant.

Water: Much better, classy oak, some wax now, lovely red apple.

Taste: Soft, sweet and building meaty Sherry, fruit and spice. Floral but quite light. Lots of oak into the finish.

Water: Better integrated.

Finish: Medium/Long length. Lovely, by far the best part of this dram, classy oily oak, dunnage.

Thought this would be a big sweet Sherry cask, waxy Clynelish. Nope. None of that here. Instead its light and floral, almost Lowland like in its style.

81/100

Distillery: Clynelish

Average Score: 79.7

Distillery Ranking: 10th/64 places

Up/Down: Up 1

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #596

Whisky Network Review #706

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 94

Worst Score: 12

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and I am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and I am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 1984 Silver Seal Review

Hi everyone,

I’ve always wanted to try some older Clynelish because its normally raved about in whisky circles and rumours suggest that the further you go back, the closer to Brora you get.

Part of the unique character of Clynelish is the waxiness you get from it, that doesn’t quite come across the same in any other whisky. I had thought that this was due to the spirit safe never being cleaned, but a little research seems to suggest it is actually the feints tank that does not have oils removed from it that other distilleries normally would during their silent season.

What does that actually do? I have no idea really. But perhaps by taking quite a wide cut, more into the feints, they can capture some of those oils that then come through as that waxiness when matured?

 

Clynelish 1984 Silver Seal 57.3%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium

Nose: Light, ethereal, honeyed and complex, nettle, fresh mint, wax, a journal of pressed flowers complete with homemade paper, candle wax. Lovely nose, really fresh and summer-y.

Taste: Soft, amazing balanced arrival, then spices and juicy fruit along with complex honey and florals, white pepper, vanilla pod and lily. Beeswax and oils, candle wax, softer into the finish.

Finish: Long length. Drier but oily with some wax, old school oak.

Over 18 years old, bottled in 2003. A lot of Scotch mist with water! But it does unbalance the whisky though. Quite dry mid-palate but lovely old Clynelish. Better, in fact, than the 38yo Brora from 2016 IMO.

87/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #561

Whisky Network Review #664

Network Average: 74.7

Best Score: 93

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 1997 Whiskybase Gathering 2017 & Wolfburn 2013 Single Cask for Whiskysite.nl Reviews

Hi everyone,

After finishing at The Haig whisky festival, I was back in The Netherlands only a few days later for the Whiskybase Gathering in Rotterdam.

If you haven’t heard of whiskybase.com, get over there right now. NO, wait. After you’ve read this instead. Great resource over there, filled with reviews of almost every whisky that’s ever existed. Also, you can add bottles to your collection and build a virtual picture of what bottles you have. You know, if you’ve lost track in reality. It also keeps a handy estimate of how much your closed bottles are worth, if you need a reminder of how much money you’ve throw into the rabbit hole.

We popped over to their shop for a look and got to try a new Clynelish released for the Gathering then headed to Whiskysite.nl and a taster of a Wolfburn single cask. Both are completely sold out long ago, but here are my notes anyways.

Clynelish 1997 Archives 55.8%

Colour: Light Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Spicy red apple and waxiness. Honey.

Taste: Nice level of heat, black pepper, red apple, heavy wax.

Finish: Long length. Spicy and intense.

Release for the Whiskybase gathering 2017. Great Clynelish but a little hot at times. Only 80 bottles!! And all sold out long ago.

81/100

 

Wolfburn 2013 for whiskysite.nl 55.9%

Colour: Light Amber

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Cherry, loads of ripe cherry. Then mint and liquorice. Spearmint.

Taste: Cherry, some raisin but very fresh Sherry style, not too rich but not youthful either. Could be 9yo.

Finish: Short/Medium length. Nice, more soft cherries.

The first ever Wolfburn single cask pick, for The Netherlands. A real cherry bomb. Lovely young stuff.

78/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Reviews #543-#544

Whisky Network Reviews #638-#639

Network Average: 74.6

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?

Clynelish 21 Show Bottling Review [London has Fallen]

Hi everyone,

Another one of the ‘Art of Whisky’ bottlings from The Whisky Exchange Show today. These labels were really cool and it’s a shame I didn’t really get a chance to try the others from the set. Along with the Springbank, this was the other one people were really raving about and of course sold out very quickly.

The idea is that this whisky shows off the art of distillation. What better distillery than Clynelish to really show that off, eh?

 

Clynelish 21 TWE Show 2017 56.1%

Colour: Gold

Body: Medium/Full

Nose: Austere, mineral, slightly chalky lemon, bit of pineapple, slightly sooty (which I sometimes taste in Clynelish but haven't smelt before).

Taste: Sour arrival, lovely sour lemon, orange, lovely orange actually, chalky, oily, powdered milk?, dry.

Finish: Medium length. Some salt and dry oak.

Yeah, a really good cask of Clynelish. A slight lactic note in the development knocks it off kilter but doesn’t really interfere too much.

82/100

Thanks for reading!

Scotch Review #481

Whisky Network Review #549

Network Average: 74.5

Best Score: 92

Worst Score: 22

0-49 Terrible

50-59 Bad

60-64 Just About OK

65-69 Ok to Good

70-74 Good

75-79 Very Good

80-84 Excellent

85-89 Superb

90+ Magnificent

Full Disclosure Disclaimer: I currently work as a Brand Ambassador for Penderyn Distillery. The views expressed here are purely my own and do not reflect the views of Penderyn Distillery or The Welsh Whisky Company. I try to maintain as much objectivity as I can but feel free to take my reviews with as big a pinch of salt as you like. Furthermore, my rating scale is NOT based on a Parker type wine scoring scale or a school/college/university % or A-F grade score. You can find more on my scoring here. I apologise for any seemly low or 'bad' scores given with my system and am sorry I can't say only nice things. Please keep in mind that I am ethically compromised and am unable to produce 100% unbiased reviews.

Why is this here?