Thompson Bros Clynelish 24yo 2001 (Cask #115) & Thompson Bros Clynelish 21yo 2004 (Cask #307987)

Thompson Bros Clynelish 24yo 2001 (Cask #115)

Region: Highlands

ABV: 48.7%

Price: £250.00

Distilled on 30 April 2001 and fully matured in a refill barrel. Bottled in 2025 at 24 years for the Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary series by Phil and Simon Thompson. Outturn of 176 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with lots of fresh green apple, a little papaya, orange candies, a little malt loaf, and faint hints of some tropical fruits in the background. It's got that old whisky smell, subtle varnished wood, lots of sweet, fruity characteristics and a soft alcohol which sits quietly in the background. It's very pleasant to nose. Going back, there's a slight perfumed quality to it, white flowers and freshly laundered linen sheets appear alongside the buffet of sweet fruits.

Palate

The palate opens with a burst of sweet, fizzy orange juice, caster sugar, tingly lime - more zest than juice, soft vanilla fudge and tinned pineapple rings. There's a little coconut milk that appears towards the latter palate. The mouthfeel is good, it's not as textured as we'd like but it's still got some body to it, and there's more of that orange juice lingering on the finish with a touch of candied ginger. There's a warming sensation about the palate - not overly alcoholic but warm wood spice instead.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose feels a little richer on the oak, more ginger spice, more warming, some butterscotch coming through along with some cakiness too. The fruit is still there, mostly light tropical mango and pineapples, mostly in the background. Overall it hasn't changed too much, but we don't think it needs water.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate feels zingier, much more upfront acidity, it's like a squeeze of fresh lemon juice straight into the glass. There's also more oak, richer caramel and vanilla bean flavours, and a loss of fruit for us. It's still good, but it loses some of that older Clynelish character.

Conclusion

Very good whisky, very very good indeed. There's lots of expectation around old Clynelish - fortunately this one delivers. It's got all of the fruit, soft oak and sweetness that we want. It's not overly waxy or textured, but that's fine - it's still delicious. 

Score: 8.5/10

Value

Yes, it pricey, but it’s also 24 year old Clynelish.

Thompson Bros Clynelish 21yo 2004 (Cask #307987)

Region: Highlands

ABV: 51.3%

Price: £210.00

Distilled on 31 May 2004 and fully matured in a refill barrel. Bottled in 2025 as a single cask for the Dornoch Castle 25th Anniversary, with an outturn of 247 bottles.

Nose

The nose opens with quite a lot of sweetness, fairly artificial in nature, sweetened sponge cake, Chantilly cream, gingerbread biscuits, fondant icing, and something a little reminiscent of chlorine too. It's got really good alcohol integration, it's discernible but gives the whisky a certain weight to it. We're also finding some of that famed Clynelish waxiness coming through, it's quite a bold yet soft dram.

Palate

The palate opens with a sweet gingery sensation, almost like ginger wine, moving into richer brandy snaps, caramel sauce and dark chocolate coins. There's quite a lot of bourbon cask influence coming through, more so than the Clynelish spirit itself. The dram has a good texture, there's a nice weight to the mouthfeel, but there's quite a lot of gingery warmth that overtakes the palate for us. There's also some orange essence and brown sugar appearing as we go back.

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose feels a little fruitier, candied orange segments, some apple coming through, and overall a bit more balanced. It's still got a lot of sweetness, still artificial in nature, and still maintaining a certain amount of waxy character. It still maintains good alcohol integration too.

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate is much fruitier upfront, water has unlocked those apples and oranges. The palate then moves into those richer caramels, this time with some gingerbread and brown sugar. Some of that spice has mellowed too, and water seems to have helped this open up a bit.

Conclusion

A solid whisky, but maybe a little disappointing given we had such high expectations for 21yo single cask Clynelish. It's a little warm in places, and feels like the cask has somewhat pushed the spirit out of the picture. We're being super critical here - it's still a very tasty dram that we'd happily sip on. 

Score: 7.5/10

Value

Like today’s other review this distillery unfortunately attracts a premium.

• 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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