Clynelish 16 year old Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Ch.

Profile: The Clynelish 16 year old Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Ch. at a glance

• Clynelish 16 year old: Single cask bottling from Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224
• Connoisseurs Choice: Rare single cask bottling by Gordon & MacPhail
• Limited Edition: Only 265 bottles available worldwide
• 50 Years of Kirsch Import: Anniversary bottling with collector appeal
• Highland Original: Distilled at the Clynelish Distillery in the Scottish Highlands

Portrait: What makes the Clynelish 16 year old Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Ch. special

When a whisky tells its own life story right there on the label, it is usually worth taking a closer look - or at least pretending to have every technical term spontaneously at your fingertips. With the Clynelish 16 year old Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224 from Gordon & MacPhail’s "Connoisseurs Choice" series, exactly that is expected: a bit of knowledge, a lot of tradition, and even more Scottish patience.

The story begins in the northern Scottish Highlands, at the Clynelish Distillery. It is here - where the wind invariably has a mind of its own, and where sheep likely possess a better grasp of weather forecasting than any modern app - that whisky with true character has been crafted since the 19th century. The distillery itself was founded in 1819 and has undergone a number of changes over the years - including a complete reconstruction in the 1960s, as it was apparently decided that even whisky eventually deserves an update.

This particular bottling hails from a single cask, numbered 307224, and was matured in a Refill Sherry Hogshead - that is, a cask that already possesses a bit of whisky-seasoning and no longer exaggerates every influence quite so dramatically. In total, a mere 265 bottles exist - a figure roughly equivalent to the number of people who, in a Scottish pub, simultaneously declare they’ll have "just one more wee dram" before inevitably deciding to stay put.

Behind it all stands Gordon & MacPhail, Scotland’s largest independent bottler, boasting a history spanning over 130 years.

For generations, the family behind the company has pursued a clear mission: to craft Single Malt Scotch Whisky with the utmost care, patience, and a deep passion for wood. The "Connoisseurs Choice" series became particularly renowned; launched in 1968 by whisky pioneer George Urquhart, it now encompasses over 2,000 bottlings from nearly 100 distilleries.

The fact that this Clynelish is part of the anniversary edition celebrating Kirsch Import’s 50th year lends the bottling an additional celebratory note—somewhere between whisky history, the passion of a collector, and the quiet realization that one really shouldn't save this bottle "for later."

Distilled: April 23, 2009
Bottled: February 20, 2026
Batch: 26/003
Cask No.: 307224
Cask Type: Refill Sherry Hogshead
Outturn: 265 Bottles

Tasting Notes: This is how the Clynelish 16 year old Refill Sherry Hogshead #307224 Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Ch. tastes like

• Nose: Stewed raisins mingle with spicy ginger and cloves. These are joined by fresh notes of orange peel, which slowly transition into red apples. In the background, a hint of fine cocoa powder emerges, lending additional depth to the bouquet.
• Palate: Fruity and complex, featuring raspberry compote accompanied by hazelnuts and toasted oak. Blackcurrant meets Demerara sugar, elegantly balanced by a subtle sharpness of black pepper. Layered and harmoniously structured.
• Finish: Medium-long and pleasantly rounded. Vanilla pod remains present, accompanied by fresh citrus zest. A gentle, spicy-fruity aftertaste that slowly fades, elegantly weaving the various aromas together.