12 August 2022.
The Brora distillery gates.
A bit of History (those who are familiar with it can skip this part)
The story of Clynelish and Brora has gone down in the annals of whisky history, and has almost become a refrain To cut a long story short, a distillery called Clynelish was founded in 1819 and closed in 1968. At the same time, another distillery, also named Clynelish, opened nearby the same year. It was decided to call the first one Clynelish A and the other Clynelish B to avoid confusion. Due to a pressing demand for peated whisky for Blends, Clynelish A reopened in 1969, but from then on it produced a heavily peated whisky. As things were getting really complicated (and it is forbidden for two different distilleries to have the same name), Clynelish A changed its name to Brora in 1975, and this is the name under which the original Clynelish distillery has been known since it reopened in 1969.
It was this distillery, Brora, which closed in 1983. There was less demand for peated whisky, and the distillery had already started to produce a much less peated juice as from 1977. From 1969 to 1983, the distillery only contributed to the formation of Blends, and no Single Malt was produced under its name. Everyone thought she would sink into oblivion for good. Which it did, for a while. Then Diageo wanted to sell off the large stocks produced before 1983. First, some casks were sold to whisky traders. Then the Rare Malts Selection range was created in 1994, making it possible to empty the cellars of some of the defunct distilleries, such as Brora, Dallas Dhu or Millburn, and to promote others, which were then almost exclusively devoted to blends, such as Clynelish, Linkwood or Mortlach. This attracted the curiosity crowd, but Diageo's top brass didn't yet know what a gold mine they were sitting on.
In 2001, the Special Releases were launched, a range of annual limited editions offering rather older bottlings in cask strength and without chill filtration. Brora's 1st Release took place in 2002, and there would be a total of 16 Special Releases until 2017. Over the years, prices have risen in line with the passion of enthusiasts for this distillery, which has miraculously risen from oblivion.
As a result of this frenzy, Brora finally reopened in 2021, 38 years after its closure. That may sound like a long time, but it's not much compared to Isle of Jura, which remained closed for 62 years. We hope that the distillate will have retained at least some of its identity, but we'll have to wait a few more years to find out.
For its part, Clynelish, a distillery opened in 1968, has prospered quietly. Initially used only for blends, it was added to the Classic Single Malts of Scotland range in 2002. It has become representative of its region, the Highlands, and is even one of the best in terms of reputation.
Overvieu of the Clynelish distillery..
The Line Up Project
What do these two distilleries have in common, apart from a stolen name and geographical proximity?
Initially, Clynelish B was built purely because of the growing demand for Blends, and it seemed that it would be quicker, and cheaper, to build a brand new distillery rather than extend an old one. So it was for purely commercial reasons that the 2nd Clynelish was built, but for commercial reasons too, the distillates had to be similar. Every effort was made to make Clynelish B as similar as possible to Clynelish A.
Subsequently, Clynelish A, which became Brora, underwent variations in its production, particularly in the peat content. But it seems logical that it should be very close to its copy in profile. It's often said that they're twins, but how close is that? Is there a profile that unites Clynelish and Brora? Are there any differences, and if so, what are they?
On the Clynelish side, I've been referring mainly to the independent bottlings. There are a few limited editions that I've never had the pleasure of tasting (Distillers Edition, Game of Thrones set and others), but they don't get talked about much, and I don't seem to have missed anything exceptional.
As for Brora, I managed to get my hands on 2 samples of Diageo Special Releases, and an independent bottling. I think that's enough to get an idea of what this distillery has produced, and it's already a lot, given the madness that these bottlings provoke.
Brora's warehouses, seen from the outside.
The Tasting
Clynelish 14 yo : Launched in 2002, this expression is the foundation of the distillery. It is a quality entry dram that many enthusiasts have, or should have, in their cellars.
Very pleasant smokiness, combined with a mineral and salty side. It's all in the nuances. The wax is easy to detect, quite liquid, with varnish, fruits, a few plums and noble wood. Initially a bit light on the palate, then very spicy, with pepper, cumin and cloves. Nice, rather long finish. Score : 85
Very waxy and quite fruity, from plum to banana, with a hint of juniper. Then a nice minty freshness. Very complex, well-balanced. Very fruity on the palate too, with strong spices. Very long, beautiful finish, with a clearly recognisable green tea identity. Score : 89
First and foremost, very fruity, with prunes and mirabelles, good oak and a touch of iodine, controlled smoke. Everything is perfectly balanced. On the palate, it's really pleasant, with rosewater, apricot and a lovely fullness of wood. The spices are very well managed. The beeswax is still there, but surrounded by fruits. Very fine finish, full and very long, on charcoal and heather, a little foresty. Score : 90
Clynelish 1995 The Single Malts of Scotland 21 yo : Elixir Distillers bought a large number of casks from Clynelish, and since 2014 they've been bottling one a year or so. Needless to say, they've become a benchmark for independent bottlings from this distillery.
Quite cereal-like on the nose, with a lovely breadth of iodine, honey and oil. Discreet wax, a little mineral, once again very well balanced. Very smooth on the palate, with well-managed spices, honey and fruits, quinces, apricots, good oakiness. Very full, almost chocolaty, foresty finish. Score: 90
Sweet chocolate smoke. Full-bodied with iodine and menthol. White fruits, mirabelles, greengages, honey, chestnut purée. Perfect balance on the palate, spices blending with deep oak, a pinch of salt and juicy fruits. The finish is magnificent, cola, heather and damp earth, very long and eventful. Score: 91
Clynelish 1995 Kingsbury & Co. : Right away it's very fruity, apricots, quinces, mirabelles, but also honey, American tobacco, country elements, hay, hessian, cut wheat, a pinch of iodine. On the palate, some spices, young wood, dried banana, tea. Very long finish, cola and heather, ferns, a touch of vanilla.
Score: 91
The Clynelish 14 yo, a John Paul creation.
It's quite chalky, and behind that, rather fruity, very honeyed, fruit pulp, compote, white grapes, fig. The palate is fine, but a bit on the wiser side, with wheat and vanilla. A pinch of salt. Brown sugar. A little astringent and dry. The spices give a nice fullness. Juicy finish, more honey, beeswax, royal jelly. Hay, earth, brown sugar. Score: 88
The nose plays with a variety of fruits - orange, lemon, banana, grapefruit, camphor and ether - and hints of countryside, hay, dry earth, sunshine and light minerality. Tasty on the palate, with a fine balance of spices, very light peat and enticing vanilla. The finish is truly enormous, as long as the Trans-Siberian Railway, with salted butter, sweet potato, wild mint, hazelnuts and almonds. Score: 92
Brora 32 yo Diageo Special Release 2011 : The 10th Release is a little less well known by experts, but it is the best rated on Whiskybase, unless I'm mistaken. That doesn't mean anything, but it's still impressive.
Very dry hay, hints of the countryside, very nice earthy peat, liquid honey, almonds, a touch of ether and iodine. On the palate, more honey, spices and crisp biscuit. A little astringent. Apricots and quinces, white grapes. Explosive, yet very long finish, cereals, butter biscuit, salted butter caramel. Score: 91
Behind this glass, almost 20,000 euros are staring you!
What I gain from it
- First and foremost, I have to say it was quite something, that Line Up. There was a lot of very good stuff. Some excellent, some brilliant, some stratospheric. You need a bit of time to get over it.
- How to tell just how close Clynelish and Brora are? And how different they are? If they are twins, then they are heterozygotes. What they have in common is the waxy character, which is less pronounced in Brora, the very light peat, which is only there to give a little depth, an often incredible balance, which is less obvious in Brora, lots of varied fruits, giving way to the exotic, honey, and of course the touch of mineral iodine, which is to be expected given that both distilleries are close to the sea.
- Clynelish is a bit like the wise child, producing some magnificent, monstrously balanced stuff, and at the same time the spices are strong on the palate. OK, not so wise. But it's still very well crafted. It's very woody, even foresty, and often tastes of green tea.
- Brora is tighter around the edges. It's quite farmy, rustic, with limestone and camphor, ether, not more than a little touch, but it's enough to hit. It's more cereal-like, with buttery biscuit flavours and a touch of caramel and salt.
Conclusion.
It would be difficult to say which one is the best, it would be like asking a parent which of his children he prefers. In any case, Brora is the most original. Clynelish is more mainstream, more composed. Brora is for a good farmer, Clynelish would be for a lawyer or a Member of Parliament. They complement each other and sometimes merge, in fact the 1995 Kingsbury & Co. Clynelish is very close to Brora, and I'm sure there are Broras that are almost Clynelishes.
Clynelish casks preserved... inside Brora!
These are two excellent distilleries, capable of extraordinary things. Their reputation is not usurped. Nowadays, Brora is the victim of speculators, and that's a shame, because good whisky should only be bought because it's good whisky, and for no other reason. Today, the old Broras have become more or less inaccessible. Clynelish, on the other hand, is a household name. It's amazing how these two closely related distilleries have taken different paths.
The reopening of Brora promises to change a lot of things, and I have to say that I'm hopeful of finding some very good Brora at an affordable price.
Brora. Or maybe Clynelish. I can't remember.
