Clynelish malt -- ever peated since Brora closed?

Related whiskies : Clynelish

by **hpulley** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 2:18 pm

Does anyone know if Clynelish has ever used peated malt since Brora closed in 1983? I ask because in good, strong Clynelish bottlings since that time I often detect peat and I'm wondering, is it really there or am I mistaking something else for peat? The current 14yo OB seems to be fairly peaty for example.

Harry

by **Tom** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:53 pm

I dont know Harry,
But i only tasted one clynelish, the 14Y old from Fauna and Flora and it was deffinatly peated.

by **hpulley** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 5:55 pm

I ask because the current info from Diageo at malts.com says the malt is completely unpeated, as is the water. Have either of these factors changed in the past 10 years? That is my question.

Harry

by **hpulley** » Thu Jan 13, 2005 11:27 pm

I know malts.com has tasting wheels for Clynelish which say it is smoky and peaty but it separately says the malt is unpeated...

I know Caol Ila does peated and unpeated runs and it takes some 'flushing out' to switch from one to another. The stillrooms are the same but the stills themselves are not so Clynelish and Caol Ila would not produce the same whisky even if they used the same malt.

Harry

by **Admiral** » Fri Jan 14, 2005 3:53 am

I don't know if Clynelish have made any heavily peated whisky (which Brora certainly did for a period), but I'm very surprised to learn that Clynelish's malt is entirely unpeated!!

Perhaps this is a recent development that has changed in the last 10 years? I haven't tasted any Clynelish younger than 12 years, so it could be possible.

Cheers,
Admiral

by **Bart** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:28 am

It all got to do with the water. When the waterlevels are high after lots of rain the sediment is more present and the water will take more of it's 'taste' into the whisky.
I have had peated Clynelish which I liked, but although being the sister of Brora there was no real 'family' recognition. It all depends on the type of wood used. I am trying a 14 yr old Clynelish (Chieftains), 46%, which has been on a South African Sherry, almost Oloroso....Very nice...but not peat at all.They sherry would have taken it away.

If you want to try a good Brora try to get a DL Platinum Brora 34yr, by far my favorite Brora.

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 10:08 pm

I feel quite sure that peaty water is far overstated, at the very least, when it comes to adding flavor to whisky. (Beers that claim "It's the water" have no choice because that's usually about all there is in it!) Of greater possible impact, in my mind, would be mineral content, which I think might affect the mash in ways that I will not claim to understand.

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Jan 27, 2005 11:37 pm

I told you I wouldn't understand it! :shock:

by **Admiral** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 3:46 am

Water is involved in so many stages of the whisky making process that if there was any peat in the water, it is not unreasonable to assume it could have some influence on the final product.

Water is used during

1) Steeping the green barley
2) Mashing
3) Reducing at cask-filling stage.

I seem to recall reading an article on this in a copy of Whisky Mag a year or so ago. I'll check out the article tonight and get back to you, because something is telling me I'm missing a few extra steps above.

Cheers,
Admiral

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jan 28, 2005 4:23 am

All true, Ad, and I'm sure there are a lot of subtle things going on that we don't know about; after all, if mineral content can chemically affect the process, why not the presence of organic material? But it seems to me that the flavors that most of us refer to as "peaty" are the phenols which are residue of the peat smoke in the kiln. I would be absolutely delighted if someone could demonstrate to me a "peaty" taste that has nothing to do with this. If it can be done, I have no doubt that someone here will do it!

Related whiskies : Clynelish