Review by: Raygun

Technically a secret Highland, though well known to be Clynelish. The store even announces it on their webpage. This was an exclusive for Kensington Wine Market in Calgary, bottled by That Boutique-y Whisky Company, which might take the title for most annoying IB name. They are also known for bottling at 500ml (375ml in the US until recently) instead of 700ml, and that would actually be nice if their 500 didn’t cost as much as 700 from another bottler. In short, I’m not a huge fan of them, but not because their whisky isn’t any good. Reviewed from a sample. Rested about 15 minutes.

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Distillery: Clynelish

Bottler: That Boutique-y Whisky Company   

Region/style: Highlands single malt Scotch

ABV: 51%. Likely cask strength.

Age: 20 years old. Bottled in 2021.   

Cask type: Unknown. Leaning very refill sherry at 578 bottles.

Color: 0.8 deep gold. Probably natural color and non-chill-filtered, but I’m not sure.

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NNose: Honey, wafer cookies, orange, and something like oolong tea. Something a little sharp that I can’t figure out just yet. Something herbal/floral, maybe citronella. Muskmelon turns up. Now some pastry and furniture store.                     

Palate: Well, that’s very nice. Loads of honey and cereal flavors. Takes me back to Bit ‘o Honey candy from when I was a kid. There’s a little bit of citrus, mainly orange, and now a touch of mint, too. Caramel-dipped cookies. Some yeastiness. Baked goods beyond the cookies, like a babka or other yeast cake. Terrific mouthfeel. A few drops of water amps up the flavor even more. 

Finish: Honey, oolong tea, and orange-scented babka. With caramel. Close to French toast, but with no egg flavor. Some melon comes out here. The herbal flavor remains, mint and oregano. More waxy character now. Oaky, but it’s not too dominant. Very good length.  

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Conclusion: Excellent Clynelish. It’s not always worth the hype (and price) in my opinion, but this one definitely delivers. Very little sherry influence (assuming it is a sherry cask), and it doesn’t get in the way of the malt at all. Oozes honey, a little tart, with a nice yeasty/bready flavor. Great start to finish. The sort of thing I’d love a bottle of, and ~$160-ish US is not bad at all.

Score: 87

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
• 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
• 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)