1995 Signatory Vintage Clynelish 23 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Clynelish has become a favourite of many malt lovers. If you're one, don't hesitate on this release which has all the credentials of a Clynelish bargain. Going by whiskyfun's review of a sister Signatory cask (below), it should be a cracker. At it's best Clynelish delivers an alluring combination of beeswax, honey, subtle coastal notes and whisps of peat. X Bourbon barrels are standard, but Signatory's is all the more distinctive for its full term in a single sherry cask. Distilled in 1995 and bottled in 2019 with an outturn of 592 bottles at 56.4% Alc./Vol. Be quick!

Other reviews... [Sister cask #8674 tasted] In general, ex-sherry Clynelishes aren’t exactly my favourites, same with other bold distillates by the way, but some have been very good, including a brilliant sister butt by LMDW last year (WF 91), so let’s see what gives here. Colour: amber. Nose: no clashes and no extreme leather! Wonderful! Rather smoked raisins and figs, kumquats, pipe tobacco, miso soup, bresaola, marrow soup, parsley, walnuts, thin mints… And not one single molecule of sulphur. And it’s not even heavy; it’s pretty elegant, actually. With water: menthol and raisins in full swing, old garage, chalk, a little bit of smoke, perhaps pickled fruits, chutneys… And behind all those aromas, a certain Clynelishness that manages to find its way to your nostrils. Citrons! Mouth (neat): well it is a little heavy this time, concentrated, herbal and bitter, with artichoke liqueur, bitter oranges, more tobacco, ginger, leather, more miso soup, umami, salt… There’s a feeling of European oak, not too sure about that. With water: go to adore water, as thanks to just a few drops of Evian (we ran out of Vittel at WF Towers!) it became purely Clynelish. Wax, plasticine, oranges, citrons, lemons. Nothing more, nothing less. Finish: umami striking back. Long. A few struck matches in the aftertaste. Comments: no dissonances here. Very well done, but it’ll benefit greatly from ten of twenty extra-years in glass. Yes patience remains a virtue, just ask the distillers. 90 points - Serge Valentin, whiskyfun.com