Clynelish 16 Year (2004) SMWS 26.144 “Herbal Reveries”

Scotch Whisky Review #481: Clynelish 16 Year (2004) SMWS 26.144 “Herbal Reveries”

Image Credit to: Whiskery Turnip, you can read his review here.

Distillery: Clynelish.

Bottler:” SMWS.

Region: Highland.

Age: 16 Year. Distilled on February 27th, 2004. Bottled 2020.

ABV: 54.3%.

Cask Type: First Fill Bourbon Barrel.

Price: Sample courtesy of Whiskery Turnip.

Color: 0.6, Old Gold.

This is the 7th installment of this years’ Christmas Countdown. You can check out previous editions as well (2019, 2020, 2021, 2022).

This whisky was reviewed blind.

Nose: Smells very much like a mix of Pine Sol and Simple Green.

Palate: It is really, really hot. I needed to drown it water for it to be drinkable. With loads of water, it turns very creamy with a bit of something funky. Cream of mushroom soup, the one right out of a can, comes to mind first. A little more water brings out some pineapple juice notes.

Finish: Pretty short. Vanilla cream.

Guess: Scotland. Malt Whisky. Highland region. 5-9 years. 60+% ABV. Hard to say any distillery but I’ll guess Glentauchers.

Reveal: Clynelish 16 Year (2004) SMWS 26.144 “Herbal Reveries”.

Conclusion: I’m not sure if I’ve had a more surprising reveal than this one. Ex-Bourbon Clynelish should show of the distillery character incredibly well. Somehow though, this one shows virtually nothing of the distillery character. The whisky comes off as really hot and really underbaked. It’s drinkable after a dousing of water but overall it isn’t particularly great. Perhaps my palate was off this day but ultimately this was far from expected from both the distillery and the bottler. Shame.

Rating: 65.

Scotch Whisky Review #481, Highland Review , Whisky Network Review #643

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing.
  • 0-49: Blech.

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