Clynelish 1990 (Ian MacLeod ‘Dun Bheagan’)

Christopher Hayn — Sun, 13 Dec 2015 19:34:48 +0000

On the thirteenth day of the Dramcalendar, we have the Clynelish 1990, bottled by Ian MacLeod as part of their ‘Dun Bheagan’ bottling series. Dun Bheagan (or Dunvegan in Gaelic) is an ancient village on the Isle of Skye. Dunvegan Castle is the family seat of the MacLeod Clan since the 13th Century, making it the oldest continuously inhabited castle in Scotland.

I am rather excited about today’s expression. Not only do I have a weakness for single malts from Clynelish, but I also have a soft spot for port cask finishes. So in theory, this Clynelish should be right down my alley.

Name:	Clynelish 1990
Bottler:	Ian MacLeod
Bottling Series:	Dun Bheagan
Vintage:	December 1990
Bottled:	2013
Age:	22 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Clynelish
Cask Type:	Port Wine Cask Finish
Cask Number:	93781 / 93783
Number of bottles:	798
Strength:	46.0% Vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Very fruity with all sorts of stone fruits like cherries, apricots and peaches. There are also some red berries in the mix. Lots of honey with hints of vanilla. Then sun baked wood, straw and hey – like a old barn in the sun.

Taste

Sweet, soft and even more wine-like now. Stone fruits and wild berries are back again. It gets dryer then. Oak, old leather and some peppercorns.

Finish

Long and spicy with a certain bitterness from the oak. Hints of caramel and dried strawberries.

Overall

A decent whisky finished in an overly active cask. Overall, it was a pretty big disappointment for me. Very one-dimensional and definitely not what I was expecting from a Clynelish that old.

Score: 81 / 100

Clynelish 1996 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2015′ (SV)

Christopher Hayn — Thu, 28 May 2015 17:20:01 +0000

Single Cask Seasons is a bottling series from independent bottler Signatory Vintage for German whisky importer Kirsch Import. The goal of this series is to find a whisky that matches the season of the year. The first one (Winter 2014) was a 10-year-old Ledaig matured in a 1st Fill Sherry Butt.

Now, a single malt from Clynelish is not necessarily what I think of when it comes to springtime but all the more I am excited to give this one a try.

Facts

Clynelish 1996 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2015′ (SV for Kirsch Import)

Name:	Clynelish 1996 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2015′
Bottler:	Signatory Vintage
Bottling Series:	Single Cask Seasons
Bottled for:	Kirsch Whisky Import
Distilled:	June 1996
Bottled:	March 2015
Age:	18 Years Old
Category:	Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Distillery:	Clynelish
Cask Type:	Refill Sherry Butt
Cask No:	6511
No. of Bottles:	676
Strength:	49.9% vol.
Colored:	No
Chill Filtered:	No

Nose

Candle wax dripping down on oranges and cherries. Probably from more than one candle because the waxiness is indeed pretty strong. A sea breeze comes in and carries with it the smell of seaweed and brackish water. Underlined by touches of peaty earth. There is also smoked beef, dried flowers and sherry in the background.

Taste

Full-bodied and oily with a sweet fruitiness of strawberries (lots of), cherries and raspberries. Rock sugar. Again a lot of liquid wax. Followed by white pepper, dry earth and ash. The sherry is present at all times.

Finish

Long and fruity with cherries. Candle smoke. A bit peppery and drying towards the end.

Overall

Not sure if this a typical spring-like whisky for me but this is a pretty excellent dram nonetheless. A stunning combination between fruitiness, spiciness and waxiness.

Score: 92 / 100

Sample provided by whic.de

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Clynelish 1990 (Ian MacLeod ‘Dun Bheagan’)

Clynelish 1996 ‘Single Cask Seasons – Spring 2015′ (SV)