Clynelish 14 yr. - Selkie Queen - 57.1%
Bottled by Subtle Spirits a San Francisco based contemporary independent bottling brand pairing each release with original label art. This Clynelish was matured for 14 years in a hogs head before being bottled by Subtle Spirits with artwork of the mythological Scottish creature by Hannah Yata.
From Scotch Whisky: In any distillery there is a natural precipitation of oils in this tank which would normally be removed during the distillery’s annual silent season when the plant is fully cleaned. When this happened at Clynelish, the waxy character disappeared. Realizing that the gunk had specific qualities, these days it is removed during the silent season and then replaced. The mature character retains waxiness as a mouth-coating texture allied to citric notes and, occasionally, a little mineral/ozone hint. Tastings of single malts (and blends) from the 1950s and 1960s suggest that waxy was a significantly more prevalent style industry-wide in those days.
Notes: Nose cranks lime oil. Vegetal oil. Marshmallow. Unique - I'm into it. Very cohesive on the palate and faithfully translates the nose - lime oil, marshmallow, cooked down greens, generic mild fruit, plastic inner tube. Finish is a bit patchy. Overall, the structure is full but linear.
Pour This For: Crossover for Japanese whisky fans makes sense - very integrated with bright fruit.
Score: 7 (Highly Recommend) Unique and crushable. Lacks some complexity and definition. Structure could use some depth. That said, I enjoyed every sip of it. Although, I haven't met many Clynelish I didn't like.
Rating System
10 - Reevaluate The Budget
9 - Stash Two (If Able)
8 - Stash One (At The Right Price)
7 - Highly Recommend It To Strangers
6 - Solid - Above Average
5 - Acceptable For The Situation
4 - Not Vocally Complaining
3 - Anything Else To Drink?
2 - Nothing Nice To Say
1 - Drain Pour