Clynelish 14 Year

Review #076 Type: single malt scotch whisky Proof: 46% Comments: aged 14 years, cask types not disclosed Tasted after: first up Appearance (no score): Russet color. Swirling reveals a thin line sticking to the side of the glass, legs are slow to form. Nose: 17/20 Sweet here, but also mellow. Honey mostly, with some stone fruit in the form of apricots and cherries as well. And there’s a subtle aroma of a fermented grapes, but I can’t quite pinpoint the wine type. All rounded out with hints of fresh baked bread and butter. Palate: 33/40 I never get tired of the waxy impression this imparts on the first sip. It’s more subtly sweet here as compared as the nose. Instead it’s pasty forward, like buttered and lightly salted fruit scones. Tart crisp apples accompany this with a little savory caramel and a dash of cinnamon. Finish: 32/40 Medium finish. It starts on a savory and salty note, then shifts back towards highlighting more more of those bread flavors. The sweetness is gone though, now it’s more of a hearty wheat loaf, maybe salted crackers too, before ending on a leafy and earthy tobacco flavor. Then oddly enough I had a small burp after finishing my second sip, and the flavor that came to mind was canned peaches. With Water: The tart and crisp apples I was tasting on the palate are now very evident on the nose, and there’s some vanilla that I’m noticing now which I don’t remember smelling before. It’s also a totally different animal on the palate - still sweet and pastry forward but bolder now, and a bit hotter. And that tobacco note that ended the finish is a bit smokier now, like I just took a drag on a cigar. Total: 82/100 Final thoughts: This bottle is a favorite of mine to begin tastings with. It’s a downright good whisky and easy sipper on its own, but is also very dynamic and foundational. I’ve found that it lends itself well towards supporting a number of different flavor profiles. It’s starting to get a bit expensive up my way, but is still a bottle I that I try to keep a spare of on hand. Price: $68 Would recommend: yes Would buy: yes Scoring Legend: 96-100: The perfect dram, absolutely exceptional, nectar of the gods, I will savor this bottle and make it last, 5 stars. 90-95: Near perfect, there is something truly special about this whisky, 4.75 stars. 85-89: Very good to amazing, almost the complete product, 4.5 stars. 80-84: Quite good, very enjoyable to drink, but doesn’t wow me, 4.25 stars. 75-79: Good, enjoyable but ultimately flawed, unlikely to purchase again, 4 stars. 70-74: A solid dram, but wouldn't go out of my way to get it, 3.75 stars. 55-69: Drinkable, 3.5-2.75 stars. Below 55: Suitable for cooking or direct contribution to the kitchen sink drain, 2.5 stars or less.

Many of us have had their share of this stuff in various Johnnie Walker blends, but this is a single malt that should not overlooked. Respectable age statement, reasonable price, not much else really to say. Let’s check it out. Nose: Light peat smoke, and brine. Smells like a morning on the beach. Honeydew, gala apple, pear, and apricot add a nice layer beneath the coastal notes. Pineapple and maybe even some peach add a bit more sweetness. Heavy butterscotch. Toffee, vanilla, and malt. Honey and caramel. Sugar cookie. Toasted almond. Some obscure freshly-baked pastry. Light cinnamon and oak. Fruity, juicy, and sweet. Nice start. Palate: The honeydew, pineapple, and peach are out in full force. Very sweet. Apple, pear, and apricot. Raspberry. Orange citrus. Honey, toffee, vanilla, butterscotch. Caramel and milk chocolate. White pepper, black pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Finish: Malt, toffee, butterscotch, and vanilla. Apple, pear, apricot, and golden raisin. Orange citrus. Milk chocolate. Black and white pepper, cinnamon, and oak. Moderate length. Diamond in the rough. With a single malt this good, it’s a shame that Clynelish doesn’t have a more robust portfolio. This reminds me of Oban on the nose, but resembles a more traditional Highland malt on the tongue. It’s unique, and more importantly, it’s excellent. My rating for this was a 4/5. That’s before factoring VFM. If I feel that a whisky hits the mark in terms of value, I generally boost by a quarter star. But for a $64 14-year at 46%, I’m bucking that trend giving this an extra half star. They took no shortcuts in ensuring this would be a quality malt. I highly recommend it. 4.5/5.

🥃 My Clynelish 14 Journey 🥃 The first nose meets me with honey and caramel, warm and familiar — the bourbon cask speaking clearly. Beneath it, a soft glow of orange zest, more mellow than lemon, like oils pressed gently from the peel. On the palate it spreads oily and full, clinging to the glass and to the tongue alike. Yet it carries a lightness, a freshness, that keeps it from feeling heavy. The spice here is not wood or cinnamon but the lively spark of citrus itself — a brightness that tingles without ever biting. With water, the whisky shifts. The orange steps forward, the honey stretches out, and the dram grows slimmer, lighter — a “skinnier dram,” reminding me of something like Compass Box Orchard House. It feels more open, more playful, though less deep. My lasting impression is that it is nice, smooth, and fresh. I can see why it appeals so widely: approachable, unchallenging, and never offensive. For me, it does not take me far from shore — not the grand adventure of Islay’s smoke or Campbeltown’s brine. Yet it remains a journey worth embarking on, especially for those new to whisky or those who prefer the lighter, straighter side of Scotch. ⸻ Tasting Notes • Nose: Light and delicate, offering a soft entry with subtle floral and aromatic cues of honey, caramel, and gentle orange. • Palate: Opens with gentle sweetness, balanced by citrus-driven spice. Vibrant notes of orange peel lift the profile, while smooth honey weaves through to round out the edges for a well-composed sip. • Finish: Subtle and short, leaving a lingering whisper of wax, sweetness, and spice.

Nose: Fresh peaches, dried apricots, heather, gentle earthy highland peat, honeyed malt, bonfire smoke by the beach, a touch of sweet fruit candies with wax paper (red starburst), damp cellar, rich butterscotch, dried lingonberry, a touch of old barrel, cardamom, some candied orange peel, green apple and strawberry jolly ranchers, fruity jelly beans, fruity waxiness (like a fruity red lipbalm), dried coriander, a subtle lavender and thyme note with vanilla bean floating in the background, dried tropical fruits (pineapple and papaya), barnyard earthiness, a calcium and sodium minerality, a little sliced green olive, medium dark chocolate, ripe stone fruit conserves Palate: Sweet maltiness, a touch of butterscotch, salt water taffy, highland earthy peat with marine elements, some baking spices (cardamom, mace, nutmeg), mild black pepper, mixed red berries (cranberries, raspberry, strawberries), fresh brininess, seaspray off of flint/igneous rocks, a hint of sweet mocha, barrel spice, some wintergreen, manuka honey Finish: Sweet highland peat, heather florality, some mixed red berries (raspberries, strawberries), dried cranberries, dried apricots, lighty salty with integrated peat like drinking from a coastal highland stream, lemon drops, bittersweet oak and some mocha/dark chocolate

Pours a honey-yellow color. Very, very leggy, like raindrops dripping down a windowpane. Looks like a game of Missile Command. The nose is very soft and friendly: caramel, vanilla, marzipan, malted barley, and creme brulee. Banana-flavored bulk candy. Sugarplums and a trace of port wine. There is a citric bite redolent of a lemon drop. The taste is citric lemon drop candy right off the bat. Butter and heavy vanilla creme. Grainy barley and heather/herbs. Stewed cinnamon apples, spiced plums, sweetened prunes and brown sugar. The taste to me is closer to an Irish whiskey than a single malt Scotch. The finish is mild tobacco smoke; fresh coffee grounds and mocha powder. Puckery tannins, and sherried barrel remnants. Vanilla creme, honey syrup, stewed apples. Lots and lots of salt rock. Clynelish 14 is one of the brinier, saltier Scotches. Buttery and creamy. The smoke is more mild tobacco than full-on peat. Tannins, barley, heather, sherry and a citric bite.

On the nose, honey-covered orange, sprinkled with salt. Slight ginger. Not getting any peat, unless it’s the salty note. On the palate I get all of the above. I could be convinced the palate shows a tinge of peat, especially on the back end, seems a wisp of smoke. The flavors are fairly full, and the texture is nice. It reminds me of Old Pulteney. Found this for $57, and feel it’s a good value at that, but I’ll probably look elsewhere when I finish this bottle, as it looks like new normal prices around here are about $15 more. Update: by the end of the bottle, was enjoying this more. Almost like a fuller flavored version of Johnnie Walker Green. Bumping a quarter point, and the current price is sounding more reasonable now.