Clynelish 18 Year (1997) Wemyss Malt “Waffles and Ice Cream”

Review by: zSolaris

Christmas Countdown 2020 #6: Wemyss Malt “Waffles and Ice Cream” Clynelish 18 Year (1997)

Distillery: Clynelish

Bottler: Wemyss Malt

Region: Highland

Age: 18 Year. Distilled in 1997. Bottled in 2015.

ABV: 54.2% Cask Strength.

Cask Type: Hogshead.

Color: 1.3, Russet/Muscat.

Nose: (according to the wife) It is like smelling a lemon scented candle. There is a ton of lemon along with a lot of waxiness.

Palate: This might just be the creamiest whisky I’ve had. It coats your mouth with a lovely, rich cream which is somewhere between a vanilla ice cream and clotted cream. It’s not very sweet, but has just enough in it to keep things interesting. If you let it sit on the tongue for a bit, a little bit of lemon does peep out. You get a tad of malt biscuit as well. With water, the cream thins out a bit and leaves behind a note of malt biscuits that have been generously slathered with lemon curd.

Finish: Long and quite fragrant. Flowers, lemon, fresh hay, and grass all make an appearance. I’m left with the mental image of drinking lemonade in a flower field.

Conclusion: I’m starting to develop quite the soft spot for independent bottlings of Clynelish. When done right, they seem to really be able to take the best parts of Clynelish spirit and really elevate it. This one is no exception. The nose gives off the waxiness you expect. The finish is full of lightly floral and citrusy notes. Where this really shines though is in the creaminess. Like the name suggests, it is like drinking ice cream. While I don’t quite get waffles, the biscuits and lemon curd are also delicious. Would I buy a bottle? Almost certainly if I could find one!

Final Score: 86.

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

Published by zSolaris

Unknown's avatar

Home is where the corn is! Or at least that's what I told the wife before moving her from sunny Southern California to the Midwest anyway. She doesn't share my love of scotch, the drink, but has been incredibly supportive of my little wander down the rabbit hole. We do both share a love of Scotch, our dog, though (she named him, I swear!). He's the cutie in the profile pic.

Leave a comment