Clynelish 1997 (Chester) Review

“Messy, But Somehow It Works”

Country: Scotland
Region: Northern Highlands

Brand: Clynelish 

Bottled By/For: Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK)
Type: Single Malt Whisky (Single Cask) 
Age: 15 Years 

ABV: 53.2% 
Chill-Filtration: No
Whisky Review # 581
Buying Advice: 😃  Positive. Interesting! Adequate Price/Quality Ratio.

Colour: Golden Chardonnay (Natural Colour) 

Nose: Ripe Fruit, Green - and Cooked Vegetables and Fresh Herbs are my first impressions. The typical Clynelish Wax is there as well and it's slightly aggressive this time around. I also find Malt, Buttered Toast, Straw and Grass, Heather-Honey, Orange, Lemon, Pineapple in Syrup, Banana, White Grape Juice, Vanilla, Mango, Green Tomato, light Pepper, light Salt and some Mineral - and light Metallic notes. The Alcohol is strong but reasonably well-integrated. There's some Acidity around as well. It's not a very complicated Nose but it's quite interesting as it's not easy at all to name the various Aromas, especially the Vegetables and Herbs. This Clynelish might keep you busy for an hour or so!  

Palate: Fruity, a little Mineral and Bitter-Sweet. The delivery is good and the Spirit is slightly Oily. I find Malt, Toasted Cereals, Straw and Grass, White Grape Juice, Pear, Pineapple, Grapefruit, Vanilla, Nuts, Lemon, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Nuts, Heather-Honey, Pepper, Salt, Ginger, Cloves, Cinnamon, Candle Wax and  a little Milk Chocolate.   

Finish: Middle-Long and Bitter-Sweet. Quite Dry in the end with some Mineral, Metallic and Salty Notes. I also find Toasted Cereals, Nuts, Vanilla, Orchard Fruit, Banana, Pineapple, Bitter Lemon, Heather-Honey, Herbal Tea, Coriander, Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum, Oak, Pepper, Ginger, Cloves and a hint of Milk Chocolate.    

I added a little Water and on the Nose, the Lemon practically explodes. Quite Mineral as well. Palate and Finish become too Thin for my taste.

Rating: 86

Nose: 22 - Taste: 21.5 - Finish: 21 - Overall: 21.5

General Remarks: Clynelish Distillery was opened in 1819 and rebuilt in 1896. In 1968 a new Clynelish Distillery was erected nearby and the old Distillery was renamed Brora (The Bridges River). Brora was closed in May 1983 and part of the buildings are used by Clynelish, now owned by Diageo. A lot of the production is destined to be part of the JW Blends. 

The Clynelish I am tasting today was distilled in 1997 and matured in an Ex-Bourbon Hogshead. It was bottled at Cask Strength by Independent bottler Chester Whisky & Liqueur Company Ltd, Chester (UK) in 2012. Unfortunately, this company closed its doors a year later. It costs around 80 US Dollars but it won't be easy to find as only 197 bottles went to the market (December 2016).

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Conclusion: I've tasted several Clynelish Indie expressions that were distilled in 1997. Some I did like, others less so. I must admit that I'm not a huge fan of this Distillery in general but I kinda liked the Tasting Experience of this Chester Clynelish. There's a lot to discover and you won't get bored when sniffing and tasting this Single Malt. I wouldn't call it a very Well-Balanced Malt but somehow this mixed bag of Aromas and Flavours works. I can't see me drinking this Clynelish on a day-to-day basis but I certainly wouldn't say no to the occasional dram.

Jan van den Ende                                                              December 12, 2016