Clynelish is a crisp, maritime single malt from the North Highlands of Scotland. Clynelish forms part of the Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky family and is one of Diageo's Classic Malts of Scotland series.
Clynelish started life in 1819 as a distillery founded by the rakish Duke of Sutherland in the Highland village of Brora. The Duke was later to earn infamy through his role in clearing the Highlands, whereby over 15,000 Scottish crofters and hill farmers were turned out of their homes. Clynelish distillery produced a heavily peated whisky which earned immediate popularity, but sales were initially restricted to private clients and the distillery suffered heavily from the market downturn prompted by prohibition in America and the barley restrictions imposed during World War Two.
In an effort to boost production a second distillery was constructed in 1968, modelled exactly on the modern Caol Ila distillery on the Isle of Islay. The new distillery produced the whisky we know as Clynelish Scotch Whisky today - a muscular, medium bodied whisky with a distinctive maritime flavour. The new whisky differed markedly from the strong peated tones of the original distillery, and confusion inevitably arose, especially as the two distilleries both used the name of Clynelish.
In a rare instance of bureaucratic common sense, Her Majesty's Customs & Excise and the Scotch Whisky Association insisted that the original distillery change its name from "Clynelish A" to Brora and that henceforth "Clynelish B" be known simply as Clynelish. Brora limped on throughout the 1970s before being forced to close its doors in 1983. Today Brora single malt whisky enjoys a cult status, with some bottlings till being available.
Clynelish whisky distillery continues producing a strong (46%abv) 14 year old single malt whisky as well as a 15 year old distiller's edition. Clynelish is also an important element of Johnnie Walker Gold Label.
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