Clynelish 12 Year Old 1997 Exclusive Range CWC

David Stirk, the man behind the Creative Whisky Company, bottled this Clynelish last year at the age of 12 in his Exclusive Range. The pale colour is explained by the fact that it was a refill bourbon hogshead.

The nose is quite sharp, but then it’s a young Clynelish beast. Citrus dominates, heavily spiced with nutmeg. A bit of candle wax. Reminds me of Grappa somewhat.

Feisty on the palate. Pow, boom! White pepper leads the way to an explosion of wonderfully sweet malt and honey.

The finish lasts long, remains sweet and offers a pinch of brine at the end. Quite smokey.

Clynelish has a wonderful reputation and to my shame, I must admit I haven’t much experience with this distillery. Don’t ask me why, I just never got round to trying this Highlander yet. But if this whisky is representative, I plan to change that soon.

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