[September, 2017]  Clynelish usually is a very reliable distillery that produces at least good and sometimes really great malts (except they used a sulphur-spoiled cask).  So expectations are quite high on this...

The colour is pale straw and the texture shows some slow legs and late sticky tears.  The nose is all about this creamy vanilla-toffeeish Clynelish trademark aromas that so many people love about this distillery.  Besides this there are rather rich herbal-spicy aromas that in this context are really nice (usually I am not a fan of bold herbal drams).  The mouthfeel is warming and a little coating just as the texture promised, no drying or adstringent moments.  The taste itself offers a really interesting mix of toffeeish flavours (caramelised) together with herbs, spices and honey-sweet notes.  All is balanced and even a little layered, I like that!  The finish is of medium length and adds some chocolatey aromas to the mix with no bitter or drying notes either.  Water releases more aromas both in the nose and on the palate but actually I like both the neat and reduced dram.  So this is a good dram to play around with water...

Another really good Clynelish that fits into the excellent image of this distillery, dangerously quaffable...

(bought 01/16, last glass 05/18)
In nose a lot of wood, floral, slightly medicinal notes, orange.

Comments from Whiskyfun:
Clynelish 17 yo 1996/2014 (54%, The Whisky Cask, bourbon hogshead, cask #88008) Four stars Colour: dark straw.

Nose: another country, another galaxy. This, is Clynelish. Much more power, more waxes, more soot, even more ashes, more earth… Hurray! With water: perfect. Some mint and camphor come out, which is even more perfect.

Mouth (neat): it’s as fruity as the 1997 by the same excellent bottler, but they’re rather lemons and tangerines, with a perfect zestiness and this ‘chiselled’ side that I enjoy so much in Clynelish. Impeccable, this one. With water: some salt coming out, herbs, herbal teas, liquorice…

Finish: long, slightly salty, piny.
Comments: all good. Very Clynelish. SGP:553 - 87 points.