Craigellachie 23 yo

Volume: 0.7 litres | Alcohol content: 46% | Chill filtration: No | Colouring: No

Special Features:

Maturation in first-fill ex-bourbon and first-fill ex-sherry casks shapes this 23-year-old Craigellachie. The bourbon casks contribute vanilla, toffee and fudge, while the sherry casks add fullness to this robust whisky. It is bottled at 46%, without chill filtration or added caramel colouring.

Pineapple and vanilla sit alongside malty sweetness, citrus fruit and toasted oak. Spicy notes and fresh menthol emerge on the palate. Charred pineapple adds a smoky roasted note, while toffee and fudge complement the fruity, robust character. The texture is oily.

Tasting Notes:

• Nose: The nose offers lemon, orange and pineapple against warm oak and malty notes. The oak develops an increasingly toasted character.
• Palate: On the palate, salted caramel and creamy vanilla mingle with orange peel, cinnamon and nutmeg. The whisky feels oily; menthol brings freshness, while a subtle sulphur note runs through it.
• Finish: The long finish carries lingering sweet spices, a subtle sulphur note and old wood, with ash and a hint of smoke.

Distillery/Bottler:

Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie had the distillery built in Speyside, where whisky production began in 1891. Craigellachie stands above the confluence of the Spey and Fiddich rivers. The distillery still uses worm tubs to cool the alcohol vapour: in these water-cooled copper pipes, the vapour condenses with relatively little contact with copper. This supports its robust, slightly meaty house style. John Dewar & Sons, like the distillery, belongs to the Bacardi group and operates Craigellachie. The 23-year-old is an official Craigellachie bottling.

Facts: