Clynelish

The very first scotch tasting I ever attended was with Danny, a couple years before the birth of this blog. So let’s say about 2003. It was sponsored by Diageo, and they had a guy all dressed up in a kilt, speaking in a Scottish brogue (although, as I recall, he was originally from Brooklyn), and we tasted about five malts, and a couple of the higher end Johnny Walkers. At the time we went, Danny and I had just begun drinking malts with any dedication, but didn’t know much of anything about anything. Pretty much everything we tasted that evening was a new experience. And, the very first whisky we tasted that night was Clynelish, so it’s funny that in all the years I’ve been writing about malt whisky, I have never taken the time to write about Clynelish. That’s clearly an oversight, and one which I intend to remedy this very evening.

Clynelish is a highland whisky, but the distillery is located to the north of most other highland distilleries. Plus, it’s right on the water, on the east coast of Scotland. So even though it’s a highland malt, one can taste a bit of the sea in this whisky. Not really peat, more of a peppery bite, with a touch of brine lurking somewhere in the background. In truth, although it doesn’t get a lot of attention, Clynelish is one of those whiskies that’s distinctive, with a character different from all other malts, including the much more popular highland labels. I like that.

I also like the simplicity of its offering in the market. There is a single Clynelish from the distiller, 14 years old, 92 proof. It’s not matured in sherry or Madeira casks, and really, I’m getting fed up with the whiskies that are finished in fourteen different kinds of wine casks. I mean, I love wine and all, but if I want to drink tawny port, or Chateauneuf-de-Pape, I’ll drink the wine; I don’t need it mixed in with my whisky. So there’s none of that with Clynelish; it’s just malt whisky in a bottle. One age statement, old school presentation, nothing fancy. As I said, just whisky in a bottle.

Another thing: it’s reasonably priced. I have noticed that the 18 year old whiskies have all gone stratospheric in their pricing. Apparently, the deal in China is that everyone wants to drink only the best stuff. If they’re going to drink wine, it’s got to be first growth Bordeaux, or maybe one of the DRC Burgundies. And if it’s going to be whisky, it’s got to be the best that the distiller has to offer. So I guess over there, it’s 18 year old whisky or nothing. The Macallan 18 has been crazy expensive for years, but now the HP 18, the Bunnahabhain 18, certainly the older age statements from Bruichladdich, all of them are an arm and a leg. But the 12 year olds, which I’m guessing don’t have much cache in the Asian market, are still reasonably priced. Aberlour, HP, Bunnahabhain, you can pick up the 12s for forty dollars, or even less. The same is true for Clynelish at 14 years of age. I got a couple bottles from WhiteHouse for just that - forty dollars.

So if you’re in the mood for a distinctive malt, affordably priced, and not the same old same old sherry matured highland whisky, give this Clynelish a try. I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.