We’ve tried two bottlings from Halcyon Spirits in the past few months: Macallan 1993 and Auchentoshan 1991. Their third release is this Clynelish 1993, a 30 year old marriage of two casks.
The name Clynelish is getting hard to come by, as most of them are now sold as undisclosed Highland whisky. So the ones that can bear the distillery name are also getting really expensive.
Clynelish 30 yo 1993 (42,1%, Halcyon Spirits 2023, cask #11082 + 11104, 154 btl.)
Nose: immediate confirmation. Very waxy and mineral. Sunflower oil, beeswax, old metal coins and hints of limestone. Floral honey and hints of wet hay. Underneath there is a basket of fruits, think red apples, sweet mirabelles and melons. Lemon thyme and verbena make it slightly fragrant. Later also hints of sheep wool, aniseed and herbal tea. Quite excellent.
Mouth: firm mineral notes again, giving it a sharp edge at first. Limestone and chalk, with a subtle salty edge and plenty of wax. Then sweeter hints of pear and peach, with lemon jelly, pineapple, green banana and a hint of honey. The floral side is bordering soap at times (fresh laundry) but it never crosses the line. Ginger, aniseed and grapefruit in the end.
Finish: long, still very mineral, with hints of bitter citrus zest, herbs and leathery notes.
Well-aged Clynelish with all the expected markers. The waxy notes especially stand out, with a good dose of fruits and a bit of Highlands austerity. Definitely delicious. Available from Halcyon Spirits.