Tastes

Nose: Initially, very closed. Needs 15 minutes to open up. Very clean with a sharp heat from the ethanol. Very promising. Taste: Whereas the nose might suggest a sharp arrival instead you have a smooth, sublime entry with that famous waxy quality. Sweet honey. a little peat and brine in the background. They always support and never dominate. Finish: Long, turning into a dry sour. Clynelish 14 is a complex scotch that requires patience and experience to fully appreciate. I love it, and think it's one of the finest values on the market.

Yeah, this is a bomb. Not a sherry bomb, like in scotch parlance, but in a descriptor of effervescent joy. I have never had a more enjoyable bourbon(esque) drinking experience. Complex, and it doesn't hammer you over the head like some unruly child. Instead, it draws you in like a warm fire on a cold night. One of the best spirits ever. Bravo!

2017. Batch 506. Sweet peat returns to my cabinet. One of my favorite spirits, and this bottling is my favorite so far. Has all the hallmarks of a 506 with more sweet notes than peat/smoke. That doesn't mean this whisky is not a Lagavulin, though. It still has plenty of tobacco and smoke, but it plays second fiddle to the sweetness from the sherry finish. Speaking of the finish I found it to be quite enjoyable, though it could be a bit longer. Excellent dram to close the evening. Negatives? Like the 16 it's chill-filtered and has added coloring...boooo! Anyway, it doesn't detract from my enthusiasm 93/100.