Review #227 - Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Clynelish 10 Year
Elixir's 'Single Malts of Scotland' range encompasses quite a few different distilleries - here's one that's quite popular with the enthusiasts. Clynelish has classic Highland character when bottled naturally and with enough age, but that's becoming harder and harder to find these days, especially if you want a reasonable price.
Diageo has reduced the amount of the distillate from Clynelish that's available to independent bottlers in recent years, and due to some deep cleaning and other changes at the distillery itself, some will say that the character of the malt has been lost, at least diminished.
This bottle from Elixir has a 10 year age statement, and we get a nice strength of 48%, above the 46% minimum that a lot of enthusiasts are looking for these days. A vatting of only three ex-bourbon casks with a 2011 vintage, there are likely fewer than 1,000 bottles of this specific blend available, but it still comes with a reasonable price.
Single Malts of Scotland Reserve Casks Clynelish 10 Year
Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt
Price Paid: USD 79 (2023)
Current Locally Available Price: USD 79 (2024)
Age Statement: 10 Years
Strength: 48% ABV
Cask Makeup: 3 ex-bourbon casks
Details: 2011 vintage, bottled in 2021; parcel no.1
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 5 months; bottles at 100%, 70% (blind tasting), and 60% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Classic ex-bourbon Clynelish character - vanilla, honey, caramel, and some soft oak. Light fruits are sprinkled in: peach, nectarine, apple, maybe some pineapple. There's a soft heather note which develops into a stronger floral perfume note later, and a bit of spirity influence is still present.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel; honey, soft wax, Belgian waffles, and honey-drizzled pineapples to start. There's soft fruit like nectarine, lime, apple, and guava; dry vanilla and soft oak come in later. There's more of a youthful note on the palate, at times adding a hint of acetone. At the end of the palate, more floral perfume.
Finish: Medium length, and sweet again - honey syrup, brown sugar cookies, vanilla, and honeycomb. It does have a nice waxy note, and there's a fizzy spice of white pepper and oak. We end with hints of fruit and malt, maybe the tiniest bit of smoke.
Final Note: This has more of a classic Clynelish character to it - not strongly waxy, but it's getting there. Lots of sweet flavors, and the tropical fruits on the nose and palate were nice, but there's a youthful element on the palate that holds this back just a little bit. Still, a nice single malt to sip on; value is about average.
Our Average Rating: 6.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 6.37
