Adelphi Clynelish 9yo Cask #51261

Adelphi Clynelish 9yo Cask #51261

Region: Highlands

ABV: 53.5%

Price: £79.99 

Distilled in 2015 and matured for nine years in a first fill ex-bourbon barrel, this single cask Clynelish was bottled in 2025. Just 215 bottles were released.

Nose

The nose opens with a mixture of zesty citrus mixed into vanilla whipped cream, beeswax, butter biscuits, icing sugar, Manuka honey, light hazelnut spread without the chocolate, and a little wet cardboard. It's not overly sweet, there's something a little dunnage-y/saline in the background. The alcohol is in good balance, fairly low ABV for a 9 year old making us think it had quite a bit of oxidisation during maturation. Going back, we're finding something more tropical, fresh pineapple, and a few tinned peaches too.

Palate

The palate opens with a lovely texture, viscous and mouth coating, moving into a burst of fresh fruit, think pineapple rings, apple slices, a little lemon zest.. in fact we're reminded of a lemon French Fancy cake. We're also finding a little caramelised banana, menthol sweets and coconut shavings. It's quite sweet, but it's in good balance with the acidity and a little bit of earthiness too. The alcohol has a bit of pepperiness that lingers into the good length finish. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose becomes a little richer, a little more honeyed, a little punchier - maybe even a tad more alcohol coming out. Less sweetness overall, we're finding a few notes of copper coins,  toasted wood, earthen walls, a little musty... but there's still those sweeter citrus and honey notes underneath.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels muted in all directions - the mouthfeel is weaker, the flavours are less intense, it's richer but in a drier, oakier way. Some may enjoy that however we feel like it's lost some of the balance it had before. Saying that, there's more of an American Bourbon flavour coming through now - heavy on the oak, heavy on the caramelised wood sugars, and a bit punchier on the alcohol side too.

Conclusion

Cracking young Clynelish - one of those young bourbon barrel single casks that are like needles in a haystack, very rare but when you find them, you're blown away. Great spirit and great wood make for a great quality product. We're between an 8 and 8.5, but we think it peeks just into the 8.5 territory. We bought a bottle.

Score: 8.5/10

Value

While hardly cheap for a 9yo whisky we can’t argue the quality isn’t here.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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