Color is pale gold, but the bottle does not say anything about added color or chill filtration (come on, Diageo, we really want to know!) Viscosity is medium, but the ABV is decent at 46%, so the Marangoni effect is clearly visible. The nose is interesting, a bit shy, with hits of wheat and candle wax, pepper, and a touch of floral notes on the back. Nothing special yet. Palate is much more interesting. Sharp arrival, with citrus, sweet honey, raisins and sultanas, vanilla, caramel, and some bitter oakiness on the back. Finish is quite short, bitter, with citrus notes (grapefruit?) and vanilla. Overall, this is quite engaging, and shows a lot of potential. I bet adding water to this would not hurt at all. Water indeed makes a big difference with this whisky. Citrus and floral notes come forward, and the bitterness and oakiness take the back seat. Notes of banana, lemon, sweet vanilla, and chocolate can now be distinguished on the palate, and the finish gains more pleasant, less bitter and dry, and fruitier character. Perhaps a touch of smokiness can now be sensed on the back, but nothing to worry about for those who don’t like peaty malts. Finish gains a long-lasting grain character, and a touch of smoke remains in the aftertaste. Very interesting. Overall, this is a complex and engaging 14-year-old dram, but I would not recommend this to a beginner. There’s a lot of character in this malt, and some may wonder if it has anything from the legendary Brora. The two used to be sister distilleries and shared the same geographical location. In fact, Brora used to be named Clynelish from 1819 to 1968! Though Brora is long gone being mothballed in 1983, I am lucky to have actually tasted its legendary peated 30-year-old malt. I can tell you that there’s nothing in the sense of peatiness in this Clynelish 14 that would even come close to Brora I’ve tried, but I think there’s some characteristic robustness to this dram that I remember noticing in the legendary Brora. Perhaps its my imagination, perhaps its wishful thinking. Who wouldn’t want to pretend there’s something from the collector’s whisky in their $78 bottle? But Brora or no Brora, this is a very well-made whisky for enthusiasts and it will be greatly enjoyed.