Clynelish Reserve - House Tyrell

Pretty drinkable - not bad at all

Tasted this at a friend's house. The waxy note is nice but the detergent thing is offputting. This is a flawed dram that had potential. I'm thinking it was probably only one bad cask that snuck in. Without the soapy note, it would have been quite nice despite its young age. I would take a youngish vintagey waxy Clynelish any day over an old sweet one that has been tarted up with gushy winey sweet wood. Why? Because the wax note is gone, so far as I can tell. The distillery can't seem to get it back. I'm thinking maybe it was from some sort of growth in the warehouse that was cleaned, like what sometimes happens in France with cognac. The black angels wings or whatever they call it. Anyway, that waxy fun note seems missing these days but this Tyrell does have it. And yes I do think the writers of GOT ripped off Philip K Dick for the name Tryrell from his novel Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep, or was Tyrell only in the movie? I can't remember. My pulp reading days are over and the movie is plodding now. Plus I don't much care for Scott. His film making seems to reveal a bit too much of his private sadistic sociopathic side for my liking. He was better with a more limited budget and an audience that was less jaded and more educated which kept up his bar a bit higher, and yes perhaps investors that were the parents of whoever is forking over his budgetary dough these days. Anyway, this scotch is hard to find now. My friend stocked up during the boom month when it was going for like 20 bux a bottle. That's the equivalent of the three buck chuck certainly, but in the scotch world instead of the wine world. For 20 bux, I would have bought a case but I was in the wrong state for that. Opportunity lost. Personally, I think this scotch would vat up very nicely in a homemade pure malt vatting that could be put into a nice decanter for company . . . for folks that aren't all that much into whisky, but know you are and so want to raid your collection more out of passive curiosity than active interest or appreciation and might, gawd forbid, put ice into their glasses while staring you in the eye comically as though to say "I know this pains you a little and all the better because you are obsessed with scotch and I'm a bit jealous of your passion because I really don't have the patience to be passionate about much and I just hire people who are, so that makes me better than you as I drink your fancy scotch on ice because after all ice is nice when whisky is frisky (over 43 percent ABV)." Now, let's think . . . what would I vat with this Tyrell? Another better older Clynelish, of course. But not too much. Maybe ten percent. Just enough to bring out the wax and hide the soap. A dash of my The Exclusive Malts 1997 Clynelish 15 Year Old would do quite nicely, for example. And I really do quite like that year. 97 was dabomb for Clynies. Not sure why.

Pretty full and deep. There is a certain oilyness. Nice hidden power. Wax and a lot of ripe fruit. Character typical of a Clynelish, although perhaps more fruit than usual. There is a certain complexity.

Nose: sweet, orange, alcohol Mouth: absolute blast, marmelade allover, sharp and sweet/Fruity Finish: long, powerfull Best of the GOT series. Price/quality is absurd

Sweet, fruity, spicy. Black tea, bergamot. Basically one of the best whiskies I've tried from the GOT series. On the other hand, I've had much better ones from the distillery.

waxy

Probably the best of the GoT series. Enjoyable malt with typical characteristics of Clynelish.

N- Barley sweet, plenty of oily malt and waxiness that thicken up as it breath. Bright floral, young citrus with limey nuance. Edgy feint are present on a gentle way, farm-y, earthy with green manure. (88/22) P- Oily with hint of coastal notes, but emphasis are rather on the firm sweet oak and malt. Nice orange custard are there to pleased but not as open as on the aroma on the nose. (86/20) F- Medium, smooth, waxy, almond essence, finely balance at good strength, but narrow and one dimensional. (86/20) B/B- 87/21 Cereal- 3, Fruity- 2, Floral- 2, Peaty- 0, Feinty- 2, Sulphury- 0, Woody- 1, Winery- 1, Spicy- 1 Weighted Rate- 83pt — at The Whisky Bar, Kuala Lumpur.

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The only fast-paced GOT whisky and he can handle it, a very typical Clynelish, very tasty!

Young gas and plenty of wood in station wagon. Right sprittig, even water does not make him properly balanced, the Alk remains too dominant. Not the big hit. Far too young and immature to inspire. Water brings little.

The generous ABV coupled with this whisky's youthfulness makes for a rather spicy and peppery whisky. Has a rather juicy orange note. Oily and full bodied. Quite different than the 14 but, overall, not bad. I liked it.

A lovely, fruity Clynelish. Bright orchard and tropical fruits with notes of pears, apples, mango and pineapple. Honey, ginger, fresh oranges, orange cream biscuits, burnt wood, tobacco and a lick of gunpowder. Can take a fair bit of water though it doesn't necessarily need it. A lovely oily texture too. I have had this bottle open for well over a year, and it has improved with time. Very impressive.

absolutely recommendable.. not sure what people don't like with this Clynelish, for me this is probably "just" the standard 14 year old in higher strength... certainly benefits from higher strength, lovely balanced, nice finish... what´s not to like for 45EUR? i have had much much worse for more money

Sweet soft fruit marmalade with waxy cookies, orange zest, vanilla and yellow apple. RATING: 85pts - [n22,t21,f21,b21] → |83-85: Decent|

- a surprisingly good representative of the GoT series - the 2nd best representative of the GoT series (the best is the Lagavulin 9 y.), But considering the price in Compared to the others, the perceived winner - for 55 € and with the increased filling strength fully ok

Smell: Light fruits, apples and pears, then orange peel, appears fresh and mineral, beeswax comes to the fore and fresh wood. Taste: Slightly sweet start, forest honey, beeswax, then lime and some orange. The whisky becomes spicier, pepper and ginger spread in the mouth. Finish: Medium length, slightly dry, somewhat bitter and spicy wood. Conclusion: Beautiful drinking whisky with character.

21 20 20 20 81 Simple Clay, powerful, fortress helps, well, that's it, sorry ...

A powerful, strong and good malt that can also be enjoyed undiluted - with a little water it releases additional aromas.

taste: mould cheese, salt, very intense at first, gains fruit with a bit of water

Nice nose, nice finish, but the mouthfeel is a bit too straight forward.

Sweet, yellow-fruity and waxy, with citrus notes and something floral. The alcohol is well integrated and provides intensity. Length: 5/10 Not really bad, but it also seems a bit interchangeable. Grade: 2

A little closed on the nose initially but a drop of water starts to release those typical Clynelish waxed lemon notes. Good mouthfeel with a medium to long finish.

Pretty good one, where the nose is fuller than the body. Not the best Clynelish I've tasted, but it's pleasant anyway.

Highgarden I cannot remember ever having tasted a disappointing Clynelish (and this is my 72nd so far), so I was very much looking forward to this one. And at 51.2% to boot. Rumor has it there are less bottles of this around, making it very much sought after (and thus more expensive on the secondary market). Whatever. I am just happy I ordered a full set from the get-go, so I did not have to deal with that. Let’ go! Sturdy and very mineral nose on quinine, lime and orange juice, young apples, mango, paraffin, nuts, unripe banana and rocks in the riverbed. Floral note and even some… errr… washing-up soap? Not too worry! It works! This is a wonderful nose (although honesty forces me to say I’ve nosed better). Good body and immediately very spicy. Peppers galore. But quite quaffable without water. Quinine and a candy-like sweetness come first – somewhat surprising – before honey and raisins rear their heads. Chalk, ginger and vanilla, Seville oranges, candle wax, he has it all. But it has to be said… there is a soapy edge to it. The finish is long on honey, beeswax, vanilla and pepper, but with an overly floral note. Fine Clynelish, but it flirts with perfume. Must be from Olenna Tyrell, the Queen of Thorns.

N21 P21 F21 B22 The only great whisky among all GoTs.

Cool Klineelish! Perhaps, while the best release in the Game of Thrones series from those that I tried. I recommend!

—- blind tasting —- I like it. Looks older than he is probably.

Typical Clynelish waxiness and a few more nice aromas on the nose. Unspectacular on the palate.

A decent modern example of Clynelish. Floral and perfume-y on the nose, with apples, and lemon. There is a bit of minerality and grassiness to the nose as well. On the palate, it is immediately spicy, probably due to the youth and also the bottling strength. Good amount of waxiness, along with apples, honey, and vanilla. The finish is medium, with lingering pepper spice and warmth. Overall, a fine expression of Clynelish, with the youth backed up by a higher bottling strength. If this was bottled below 50% ABV, it would be generic.

N: Alcohol first stings you. Then sweet ripe yellow fruits, citruses, banana. Spicy. P: Oily then becoming very sweet, honey, some fruit, banana, grapes, spicy, oaky F: Quite long, creamy, sweet and subtly bitter.

Yes, chill filtered, coloured and “Diageo like” presentation. Even with all of that, this is a good whisky. Do not prejudge it (not like me) and give it a chance. Not a banger but a good sipper without any doubt.

Unlike other Diageo distilleries, seeing NAS Clynelish doesn't scare me much. It can offer a delightful dynamism when young, a "lush" and profound experience when mature, but it always retains its own unique character. At this price point, the fact that a NAS product, despite its high ABV, has no flaws, and that it offers a highly enjoyable experience true to the essence of Clynelish, even though it's part of a marketing-driven series like the GoT series, is very impressive. The combination of honey, wax, and malt notes is hard to find anything to complain about. For a Clynelish lover like myself, it's incredibly enjoyable, even worth buying as a backup. Value for money: Exceptional! Would I buy it again?: Yes, I'll get a backup!

Some nice citric notes and quite some perfume. The waxy notes could have been more in my Clynelish book. Overall a solid expression. Full review (in german): https://keinehalbendrinks.de/2019/05/14/greyjoy-vs-tyrell-talisker-vs-clynelish/

A whimsy, flimsy Clynelish that does have a nice nose but is far too young, having been ripped from the barrel to satisfy the masses - marketing aside.

Rich taste: it remember me a brandy Long lasting final: spicy and alcoholic. Not my favourite, but really good

A NAS with high abv and a creamy fruity character, which makes it a bit more complex and interesting than the average GOT releases. The alcohol kick is quite prominent at first sip, but even without adding water it slowly reveals a slightly oily consistence, opening up in a wide mix of mineral, maritime and oaky notes. Apple pie, candied peaches, vanilla, lots of crispy maltiness and a distant veil of smoke soon display a rich variety of aromas, not overwhelmed by the abv and slowly fading into a pleasantly spicy, warming finish. Its quite short length reveals the young age, though not spoiling the overall good feeling of this malt, well-crafted and with good personality.

PROFILE: Slightly sweet, plain, waxy and fruity. NOTES: Orange marmalade, parrafin, ginger cookies. GRADE: 84pts — |83 - 86 (B) → Good|

Nose: Waxy banana, toffee, apples, baking spice and pastries. Palate: Waxy banana, toffee, apples, baking spice and pastries. Finish: Long -> Waxy banana, toffee, apples.

I definitely prefer the regular 14 year old distillery expression in terms of taste and also 46% suits better that dram than 50%.

Colour: golden amber. Scent: Cereal. Citrus. A light sweetness. Taste: Slightly sweet. Bitter. A little flat. Aftertaste: Short vanilla with citus.

Not bad, but nothing interesting either

Young but dynamic Clynelish, with a slightly different taste.

Cask strength brought intensity, a lovely floral and sweet dram.

Even though it's NAS, it doesn't seem ostentatiously young. The trademark waxiness is hard to coax out, though (lots of air and a bit of water are beneficial). Distillate-led; not one for wood fetishists. Super boring initially; gets more characterful after some air has gone into the bottle. A competent and tasty, but also somewhat unexciting Clynelish. An unapologetic drinking whisky.

After I already had a few GoT whiskys in the glass, this is certainly part of the "high standard" and clearly comes off better than some of the series. Rate of water addition. Actually a 14 clynelish with an additional thump. An honest dram with no rough edges.

RATING: 85pts – |83 – 86 (B) → Good| — Not a “must”, but a nice-to-have.

It has a slightly alcoholic, waxy, citrusy flavor. I shared it with my friends, and they gave it good reviews.

Two Clynelish opened and tried side by side: G-o-T and the standard 14yr old (20cl.) 51.2% vs 46%. £35 for the G-o-T and £44 (equivalent.) for the 14. Initial nosing: the 14 has the edge - softer, richer, smokier and more expressive. G-o-T is shyer - thinner, sharper more hidden behind a damp wood note. It’s as if the extra 5% is just that - which dilutes the Malt flavours. ... Both have expressive noses which demand careful nosing, but the 14 is a touch more defined and articulate. 14 yr old yields Light esters, mirabelle plums, some pear, bands of distinct sweet smoke, touches of sherry, perhaps coconut and then heavier syrups. The G-o-T plays hide and seek with a damp wood / cardboardy overcoat. Light esters, more pear, spirity eau-de-cologne mint, narrower bands of delicate sweet smoke that take longer to emerge, blasts of icing sugar, touch of sherry and spices. Just when it seems to have gone flat it drops its overcoat and out pop the fruits and flashes of smoke again Taste: both initially sweet, then more on bitter herbal notes carrying the nose onto the pallet and on to the finish which is medium but lingering. Both whiskies clearly from the same stables and to be honest there’s not a huge difference. The G-o-T Is just more muted and diluted despite its higher abv. Both suffer from chill-filtration - but they represent great value - it’s a shame there isn’t more naturally presented Clynelish in this price range! 85 for the G-o-T ( 87pts for the 14yr old).

Quite spicy, some sherry nuance, the finish is quite bitter

Wow, just wow, at this price point this is incredible value, complex sweet, salty, with a tiny hint of char. Fruits, honey, vanilla, wood, its all here. No need for water perfect abv.A real whisky drinkers whisky.

aroma Alcohol sharpness, grain, citrus notes The taste Full-bodied, great seasoning, spices, sweet Resonance Short finish, alcohol sharpness, spicy, bitter notes

I'm still relatively unprepared at Clynelish. Only had the 14er so far. A good standard. But this distillery seems to be working in my direction. The PLV is completely in the green area. He doesn't have to hide in the ranking for the places in the GoT series. Solid malt.

Dark golden color. Clear oiliness.