Finn Thomson Whisky - Clynelish 2016

FINN THOMSON WHISKY CLYNELISH 10 YEAR OLD, REFILL HOGSHEAD Nowhere for the whisky to hide · A nod to the Beneagles years · Highland Single Malt About Finn Thomson Whisky Finn Thomson is the ninth generation of Scotland's oldest whisky family. The Thomson name traces back to the 1770s through Perthshire, where Peter Thomson Ltd built the beloved Beneagles blended whisky using casks from Longmorn, Clynelish, North British, and other lesser-known workhorses. Finn Thomson Whisky continues that tradition as an independent single cask bottler. Every release is hand-selected, bottled at cask strength, non-chill filtered, with natural colour. Eye on the past. Vision for the future. Region Highland Distillery Clynelish Age 10 Years ABV 54.6% Cask Refill Hogshead Outturn 147 Bottles A single cask Clynelish from Brora on the Sutherland coast, distilled on 5 January 2016 and bottled at its natural cask strength of 54.6% on 24 February 2026. A decade in a refill hogshead kept the oak deliberately in the background, so the distillery's famous waxy character takes centre stage. Just 147 bottles were drawn from cask 300053, the smallest outturn in this Private Cask Collection release. Non-chill filtered, natural colour, 700ml. Imported exclusively by The Whiskey Lab. After a decade in a refill cask, there is nowhere for the whisky to hide. Finn Thomson Distillery profile, Clynelish The Clynelish story began in 1819, when the Marquess of Stafford built a distillery at Brora on the Sutherland coast of the northern Highlands. The modern Clynelish distillery was built next door in 1967; the original site carried on as Brora, now one of the most sought-after closed-distillery names in Scotch. Renowned for a waxy, weighty spirit born of long fermentations and cloudy worts, a character no other distillery quite replicates. The vast majority of its make goes into blends, notably Johnnie Walker, so well-chosen single casks are a genuine rarity. The story of this cask I selected this cask because it shows Clynelish exactly as it should be seen. After a decade in a refill cask, there is nowhere for the whisky to hide. The influence of oak is deliberately minimal, allowing the distillery character to take centre stage. What remains is pure Clynelish. That matters, because Clynelish is genuinely unique. Its unmistakable waxy texture, built through long fermentation, cloudy worts and a distillation style that carries heavier compounds into the spirit cut, is something no other distillery quite replicates. These waxy esters give weight, grip and persistence rather than obvious sweetness or spice, and they reward time and attention in the glass. This release is also personal. Clynelish was a key component of my grandfather's blended whisky, Beneagles, and its character helped define that style. We still hold a small number of casks from his era, maturing quietly and waiting for the right moment. This bottling is an early statement of intent: a clear, honest example of a distillery I value deeply, and a preview of some very special, old and rare Clynelish casks for future Finn Thomson Whisky bottlings. Tasting notes Nose Clean and precise, with beeswax and candle wax over a subtle spirit-led sweetness. The oak stays deliberately in the background, leaving pure distillery character. Palate Unmistakably waxy, with real weight and grip across the palate at 54.6%. Texture over obvious sweetness or spice: this is Clynelish with nowhere to hide. Finish Remarkably persistent. That waxy grip holds on and fades slowly, rewarding time and attention in the glass. Specification Details Brand Finn Thomson Whisky, Private Cask Collection Whisky style Single Malt Scotch Whisky, single cask Region Highland (Brora, Sutherland) Distillery Clynelish Age 10 years ABV 54.6% (cask strength) Volume 700ml Cask Refill hogshead Distillation date 5 January 2016 Bottling date 24 February 2026 Cask number 300053 Outturn 147 bottles Cask strength Yes Non-chill filtered Yes Natural colour Yes Bottled by Young Spirits Co, Edinburgh Imported by The Whiskey Lab