Clynelish Natural Cask Strength 57.3% abv

Nose: Clean, wax and pine resin Also minerally, flinty, almost lemony notes (lime). Keeps developing for a long time, that is, with whiffs of cardamom, shoe polish, lemon balm, oysters... With water: this is interesting, as it got more ‘precise’ and ‘focused’. Cloves, ginger, wax and a faint yeastiness.

Mouth (neat) A lot of sweetness from the alcohol but also a little salt right at first sips. Pineapple sweets, vanilla and, indeed, a little coconut again. With water: More spices, more wax, more salt, more herbs, more smokiness, more, err, ‘clams’ (or any almondy/salty kind of seafood), tea, a little pine resin just like at first nosing...

Finish: Long, even saltier and maritime. Comments: very interesting that the owners composed such a vatting for this ‘distillery only’ version. It seems that they tried to stay as close to the distillery’s character as possible. Well, as Clynelish aficionados, we certainly won’t complain!