Clynelish Prima & Ultima 26 Year Old Scotch Whisky 1996
Clynelish Prima & Ultima 26 Year Old Scotch Whisky 1996 is a 52% ABV natural cask strength, 700mL Highland single malt from Diageo's Prima & Ultima fourth release, curated by master blender Dr Emma Walker — filled in 1996 into two experimental European oak butts, one seasoned with Oloroso sherry and the other with Pedro Ximénez, bottled in 2022 in a run of just 889 bottles. It is available to order online at Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.
- ABV: 52% (natural cask strength)
- Size: 700mL
- Age: 26 years — distilled 1996, bottled 2022
- Casks: Two experimental European oak butts — one Oloroso-seasoned, one Pedro Ximénez-seasoned
- Release: Prima & Ultima 4; 889 bottles
- Origin: Highland, Scotland
First and Last of Its Kind
Prima & Ultima — "first and last" — is Diageo's collection of one-off casks that can never be repeated, and this Clynelish is the collection's experiment: a single vintage split between two sherry-seasoned European oak butts, the dry Oloroso influence against the darker sweetness of Pedro Ximénez, giving Clynelish's famously waxy spirit a richness it has never carried before or since. Shop the Clynelish collection and the wider Scotch whisky range.
Tasting Notes
Deep amber with copper lights. The nose is mellow and drying — faintly medicinal and mossy, a hint of grapefruit, a sweet suggestion of toffee and a whisper of fragrant smoke. The palate is smoothly oily and lightly waxy, sweet and apple-fruity at first, then quickly drying into chilli-pepper spice, like a toffee apple with burnt edges; the finish is long, with a spicy kick and warming Szechuan pepper, turning sweeter and salty with a drop of water.
How to Enjoy
Neat in a tulip glass first — then add water a few drops at a time: Diageo's own notes show the sweetness rising and the pepper spice softening as it opens.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Prima & Ultima? Diageo's collectible series of "first and last" single malts — one-off casks and experiments selected by the master blender (Dr Emma Walker for this fourth release) that will never be made again.
How many bottles of the Clynelish 1996 were released? 889 bottles, drawn from just two European oak butts filled in 1996.
What casks matured this whisky? Two experimental butts — one seasoned with Oloroso sherry, the other with Pedro Ximénez — an unusual dual-sherry maturation for Clynelish.
What is the ABV and size? 52% ABV at natural cask strength, 700mL, bottled in 2022 at 26 years old.
One of 889 bottles from an experiment Diageo will not repeat — collectors can order the Clynelish Prima & Ultima 1996 online through Del Mesa Liquor, San Diego, CA.