Review #745 - Single Cask Nation Clynelish 12 Year Single Cask
Clynelish, a favorite distillery among many enthusiasts, only has one regularly available official bottling, a 14 year old bottled at 46% ABV. There are occasional one-off editions in the annual Diageo Special Releases, but generally, we have to look to independent bottlers to get a taste of this distillate, especially at cask strength.
Here's an example from US-based indie bottler Single Cask Nation: a 12 year old single cask, bottled at the hefty natural strength of 61.1% ABV. This was matured in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel, meaning the distillate character should still be intact in this whisky; let's see if we find any of that famous 'waxy' character in this bottle.
Single Cask Nation Clynelish 12 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Highland - Single Malt
Price: USD 120 (2025)
Age Statement: 12 Years
Strength: 61.1% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon barrel
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 180397; distilled October 2012, bottled 2025; 228 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 2 times over 1 month from a sample. Tasted in a nosing glass each time, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Plain candle wax and soft oak, a bit spirity and punchy, and there's a soft perfume scent as well. Honeycomb, malt, and subtle tropical fruit; then coriander, lavender, and white sugar arrive.
Palate: Floral, strong malty character, and then sweet, juicy fruits of mango and passionfruit. Honeycomb, brown sugar, and a soft fizzy peat note arrive; then it's heather and some pear. There's a nice balance between spirit and cask here, and the mouthfeel is thick.
Finish: Soft waxy character, amazing texture, flavors of honey, mango, peat, peaches, and bananas. Soft grain flavors mix with vanilla and some oak spice; it's a medium-long finish, and it leans a bit sweet.
Final Note: This bottle takes some patience with that high strength, but you're rewarded with nice complexity, especially in the palate, and the texture is fantastic. Lots of fruits, especially stone fruit or tropical fruit, and a nice baking element with those brown sugar and vanilla notes. It does lean just a bit sweet overall, but there's still a nice spirity character in the background to add some balance.
Value is okay, just below average due to the relatively high price for this bottle. That said, independently bottled Clynelish isn't cheap from any bottler at this point, so this could be one of the more fairly priced examples.
Our Rating: 7.5 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.88
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
