Review by: dustbunna
Distillery: Clynelish.
Bottler: Distillery bottling.
Region: Highland.
ABV: 51.2%.
Age: NAS. Bottled in 2018.
Cask type: Undisclosed.
Price: $62 USD.
Color added. Non-chill-filtered.
Bottle open across approx. 4 months, notes taken leisurely across that period. Bold notes taken beneath the shoulder, regular-formatted notes taken further into the bottle past the halfway point, italicized notes taken towards the heel.
Nose: strawberries and cream, candle wax, lemon pith, salt, minerals, a hint of acetone.
Palate: full-bodied ~ hot at first, more cream and wax, berries, black pepper, water sweetens the whole thing a little bit, some intense floral notes, salt, a bit of strawberry lemonade in the background.
Finish: medium-short ~ pear skins, more pepper, more minerals, floral notes carry through, cut plant stems.
Conclusion: Ah, 2018. Diageo’s hunger to cash in on Game of Thrones’s immense popularity saw them release this series of young whiskies with fancy packaging—they were fairly popular and some people started trying to collect them all (as collectors do.) Then the series finale disappointed nearly everyone, and these bottles sat… and sat… and sat. This Clynelish was by far the highest ABV release of the GoT series, and though it may be young and fairly aggressive whisky, it also has the signatures of Clynelish’s profile in droves, in the form of wax, flowers, salt, and an excellent mouthfeel. The youth definitely gives it some rough edges not present in the standard 14yr— some bitter and sour notes that slightly detract from the experience overall. Still, it’s a fun one to try, and holds its own as a tasting experience, setting aside the cash-grab context of its release.
Final Score: 80.
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.
Malt Runners 