Beverage of the Week (B.O.W)
in
BOW for the Week of: January 25 to January 31, 2012
This beautiful distillery named Clynelish was born in 1819 on the fertile plains of Scotland’s northeast coast north of Invergordon just outside of the village of Brora. It was built by the Marquess of Stafford at a cost of 750 pounds. It was strategically positioned to take advantage of the great local barley and at the time of its opening it provided a valuable market for the local farmers. The barley used to create Clynelish is still malted in the Northern Highlands and water is still piped down from the Clynemilton Burn (a river) to the distillery.
The distillery has seen many changes through its history that spans nearly two centuries. It was rebuilt in 1896 and like many of Scotland’s distillers they experienced hard times post the Pattison crash in 1898. The Pattison, Elder and Co. was a major buyer of Whisky. Unknown to many distillers, the Pattison’s books were dodgy at best and they fell into bankruptcy dragging the entire Scotch Whisky industry into a period of recession.
Out of this economic climate John Walker & Sons acquired the distillery in 1916. Today Clynelish is an important component of Johnnie Walker blends. The distillery was closed during the Second World War. In the 1960s a new distillery, three times the size of the original, was constructed.
Through the many years of operation the styles of Whiskies produced here have varied in style. In the post war period the Whiskies were very heavily peated by design to add a distinctive flavor component to blended Whisky. The modern Whiskies of Clynelish are modestly peated with a balance and subtlety of flavor that very few Whiskies achieve. The notes of heather and spring flowers marry ideally with notes of sea accents, lush malted barley, and subtle oak notes. It is quite unique and prized by dedicated Whisky lovers as well as wine drinkers. It is firmly one of our favorite malt Whiskies.
