Clynelish from nought to 42 yo


June 3, 2026

Full-on tasting de la muerte: Clynelish from nought to 42 yo

Not entirely convinced by this headline either, but Clynelish is Clynelish, and the older ones are becoming scarce. Let’s attempt a verticale…

(WF Archive)

Clynelish 0 yo (62.9%, Milroy’s, Soho Selection, New Make Spirit, 2026)

Okay, we have insisted often enough that we would dearly love to have more new makes from certain distilleries, if only so we may come here and grumble about them. That said, judging by the colour, this cannot be entirely new make, it must have spent a few months in refill wood. Unless it is the ‘gunge’ adding this hue, but we rather doubt that… Colour: sauvignon blanc. Nose: pear eau-de-vie, clay, brioche dough, orange blossom, and a few drops of bergamot liqueur. No real ‘waxiness’ at this stage, but that may yet arrive… With water: we move a little deeper into damp earth and wet soils, although the pear continues to rule the proceedings. Mouth (neat): wonderful eau-de-vie, Rochelt-style, or Windholz-style if you prefer Alsace. Or indeed some others, Miclo, Nussbaumer, Metté… In short, this is barley eau-de-vie, and it remains extremely close to pear throughout, with a slightly more floral and lemony side, plus even a faint touch of aniseed. With water: ah, there we are, the beeswax finally emerges, discreetly, alongside lemon juice, especially mandarin, and a little seawater. Proof indeed that the maritime side may well reside within the distillate itself rather than coming solely from maturation. Let us remember that the Scots maintain their entire nation is ‘maritime’ as far as maturation is concerned. Finish: long, on pear, oyster juice, apple juice… Comments: you see, casks are overrated, it is still the distillate that matters above all else. Well done Milroy’s.
SGP:741 - 88 points.

Let’s move on to the serious stuff…

Clynelish 23 yo 2002/2025 (51%, Thompson Bros. for HNWS Taiwan 20th Anniversary, refill barrel, cask #238, 172 bottles)

Thompson Bros., 23 years, refill wood, why on earth would this go wrong? Colour: pale gold. Nose: beauty. Old copper coins, beeswax, mandarin peel, fresh panettone, drops of seawater. With water: pure Clynelish, fresh brioche, chen-pi, and tonnes of chalk drenched by heavy Scottish rain (pleonasm alert). Mouth (neat): that little pear side returns, which we might not even have noticed had we not tasted Milroy’s new make beforehand, but it is really the citrus fruits that rule the proceedings here, with even a fizzy side recalling certain ‘natural’ champagnes. Very dry, perhaps not for every palate (more for us) … With water: everything relaxes now, moving towards mandarin, olive, mezcal and chalk. Not much wax but amen to that. Finish: chalk, ultra-craft wheat beer, citrus fruits, champagne… Comments: it is always surprising whenever a malt displays this fizzy side, surely that must be our brains translating sensations into something else. No?
SGP:462 - 90 points.

Kittenish 25 yo 2000/2025 (52.8%, The Whisky Blues, ex-Caol Ila refill hogshead, cask #1426, 294 bottles)

Personally, I am not entirely convinced I would have revealed the cask’s previous occupant, namely Caol Ila. I find it slightly muddies the whole story in your head, because you immediately start thinking about Caol Ila, crabs, the Sound, the Paps, and the workers, few in number yet every one of them more charming than the last. Anyway, that is merely our opinion… And indeed, of course, Kittenish is Clynelish. Colour: white wine. Nose: there we are, the marriage between Clynelish and Caol Ila feels obvious, almost natural, yet you struggle to separate them. In short, it is beautiful, but it no longer quite feels like single malt, rather more like pure/vatted/blended malt. However successful it may be, it is simply not the same anymore. With water: indeed. Mouth (neat): and there we are again, Islay takes control. One had to expect it, how many litres of CI remained lurking inside that cask? Ashes and so forth. With water: same again, excellent, but this is blended malt. Finish: same again. Little touches of coffee. Comments: far be it from us to reject this baby, but this is not single malt, and even less so Clynelish. But it is a very excellent blended malt. I know, the label most certainly says ‘single malt’. I’ll add that I’m almost reassured to have found a spirit by The Whisky Blues that I liked ‘just a little less’. They are human after all.
SGP:464 - 86 points.

Clynelish 42 yo 1983/2026 (49.5%, OB, Rare Series, refill American oak hogshead, 160 bottles)

1983, that was 42 years ago already, really? Talking Heads’ heyday as well then, surely? Enough of these two-penny jokes, for us, Clynelish 1983 means wonders by Samaroli above all, and especially that combination of wax and citrus fruits that has never truly been rediscovered, let alone surpassed since. We believe we are ready… Colour: white wine. Incredible at 42 years of age, and above all a very good sign. Nose: stop everything immediately, this is magical, of ultimate precision, with polishes and beeswaxes as beautiful as a Rembrandt. In fact, you are almost standing inside Rembrandt’s studio itself, there are even wafts of linseed oil. Pure magic, it almost has you speaking Flemish, all that is missing now are the shrimp croquettes (private joke, deepest apologies). Mouth: no point resisting any longer, this is saline, oily yet taut, indeed full of mandarin and waxes, with the arrival of an unexpected yet magnificent chalk-and-pepper tandem. Pre-war white Graves, there you are. Finish: long and, above all, filled with miraculous bitters that join forces with the lemon. Many friends are not especially fond of bitterness, but for us they represent the salt of spirits, and therefore of life itself. Right. Comments: only one fear remains, that Diageo may no longer possess any 1983 casks. Besides, the Clynelish 1983s and their rare Brora 1983 cousins come from the same lineage, that of the lords (do not overdo it either, S.)
SGP:462 - 93 points.

Right then, a little bonus dram, this should go down nicely… Well, perhaps not after such glories, but we’re afraid of nothing and burdened by even fewer scruples. Like you-know-who.

Secret Highland 14 yo 2008/2023 (53.4%, Acla Selection, Classic Series, sherry hogshead, cask #194553, 180 bottles)

Mind you, there’s no evidence that it’s actually Clynelish. Colour: white wine. Nose: light mint, fresh kougelhopf, green apple, gooseberry, barely ripe kiwi fruit. This is not exactly subtle, but we rather like it all the same. With water: fairly pronounced saponification this time, and it takes rather longer to fade away. We press on… Mouth (neat): very beautiful, very good, fresh, vigorous, oily yet taut at the same time, although with a rather unexpected bitter and more herbal side. With water: it rebalances itself like an albatross that has just landed (what?) yet that slightly exaggerated herbal side remains for us. Slightly exaggerated, we should stress. Finish: long, more saline, fatter, although not especially, well, ‘sexy’, as we used to say back in the previous millennium. Comments: perhaps not quite as wonderful as the White House’s new ballroom, but certainly in far better taste. Then again, that would hardly be difficult.
SGP:451 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Clynelish we've tasted