Clynelish stands at Brora on the Sutherland coast, founded in 1819 by the Marquess of Stafford — later the first Duke of Sutherland — as part of the model estate he built while clearing the inland straths of their tenants. The new distillery was intended to give the displaced farmers a market for their barley, though the human history of the Sutherland Clearances casts a long shadow over the romantic distillery story. The current Clynelish buildings opened in 1967; the old plant ran on alongside as Brora until its closure in 1983.
Clynelish is famously waxy — a character produced by deposits in the wash receivers that the distillery has been careful to preserve — and has long been one of the most prized malts among blenders, the heart of Johnnie Walker Gold Label. Single malt bottlings have historically been scarce. The Game of Thrones release was therefore unusually interesting: bottled as Clynelish Reserve, with no age statement but at a hefty 51.2% ABV, paired with House Tyrell of Highgarden.
Of the eight whiskies in the set, this was the one that whisky drinkers — as opposed to GoT collectors — actually wanted. The cask strength gave it weight; the waxiness gave it character; and Clynelish single malt at any kind of accessible price has always been worth opening. The Tyrell sigil on the box was incidental.
