I bought Clynelish 14 yo a good few years ago. It was a very affordable single malt. I didn't know anything about it before I bought it. First impression was: toffee. Tons of toffee, vanilla, cream... It was weird. Afterall, I haven't noticed anyone else say the same about it. Though my friend noticed it aswell when I offered him a dram. At first it was very one dimensional, but after few weeks it turned much more balanced and gained much more depth to its flavour (as is the case with whiskies). Great stuff. I really enjoyed it. I don't want to buy the same whiskies again, just because I like to try new whiskies and gain new experiences. But Clynelish 14 is one of those whiskies that I would really like to buy again. But the price has gone up 25% since I bought it and while it is still a good whisky in that price range, its just not a good bargain anymore.
Thanks for the review John! It’s @70 where I bought mine but I’m seeing the trend in all the other stores to have it at $95-100. Won’t buy another at that price. For me, It’s neither sweet, nor peaty. For lack of a better term, it’s a serious malt. First pour out of bottle is unique. Seems to change flavors several times on the tongue. Looked for wax taste and maybe there’s a super slight hint of paraffin wax, or maybe it’s everyone saying it’s there. Complex . Saline solution? Savory, a bit spicy on the mid to back of the tongue. Slightly bitter, short to medium finish. That’s my take on it.
Hmmm... thanks for your take. Seems maybe batch variations as my experience was slightly different. Appreciate your input. I will study my further drams. Cheers!
Great review. I trued some today, blind. Without water I didnt draw much. With water, it misted, melon and pepper on the palate, citrus on the nose. Excellent whisky choice. I too enjoyed the hell out of it. Love the reviews keep it up
There is a lot to be said about value, especially these days. Springbank really is quite good but it's a one off whisky for most folks due to its ever increasing price. I've seen this Clynelish on the shelves at my local store but neglected it because it was in that higher 70ish dollar range giving it that Macallan status: not a good enough whisky to justify the price. I'd give this a shot after the glowing review.
