Craigellachie — ‘rocky hill’ — distillery, is a Speyside distillery dating back to the 19th century. It’s gained a following among afficionados for it’s traditional and ‘dirty’ style. Despite being owned by drinks giant Bacardi via the Dewar’s subsidiary, the entire single malt core range is integrity bottled — 46%, non-chillfiltered, natural colour — and they proudly state so. All expressions have an age-statement, and not only that, they only go for prime numbers: “We like to think that the prime numbers reflect and convey the uncompromising, stubborn and slightly eccentric character of Craigellachie when it comes to making whisky.” That said, most of the production goes into Dewar’s blends which induce zero excitement in me.
This distillery has been on my list to dive deeper into since the Craigellachie x2 just over a year ago. Today I will try the official 13yo (again, but now from a 20cl bottle), the 17yo, and also a 19yo. I did not buy a rather expensive sample of the 23yo, though.
Tasting questions
• How close will my current review of the 13yo be to the previous?
• Can I articulate and commit to memory the signature style of Craigellchie?
• How should I rank Craigellachie against other ‘dirty’ favourites (Ben Nevis, Springbank)?
Craigellachie| 13yo | 46% | Official
🌐
Scotch single malt
🪵
—
🔆
unchillfiltered & natural color
💲
€45 (70cl)
🔗
whiskybase (or otherbatch)
20cl bottle first impression
⚡Experience
N: Tropical fruits abound (pineapple, coconut, ripe grapefuit) and blend with flowery and herbal notes (heather, gorse). A mildly pungent and sweet note of caramelized onions, also gentle oak and spices (nutmeg).
P: Sweet-ish and savoury, a little salt. Viscous and mouthcoating. Dried fruits (mangoes, figs, inca berries), a mild tobacco and smoke in the development.
F: Lots of tropical fruit in the finish.
💡Thoughts
Just a fantastic malt. To me, quite comparable with Springbank 10, hovering on giving it a personal favourite mark. Let’s say third time’s the charm.
What I wrote in my first sample review a year ago:
“A fruit-forward nose (green grapes, ripe melon); some sweetness (caramel and vanilla); just a little dusty (hessian cloth, touch of white pepper). The flavours are more robust: tobacco smoke, and slightly sulphurous (broiled meats). The fruits are not gone, but do not take centre stage here. The finish is more herbal.
The combination of fruits, subtle smoke, meatiness, and herbaceousness make for an interesting taste experience that overall works well.”
The main elements of fruits, sweetness, “funk”, and herbaceous overlapped in the two reviews but the specific tasting notes differed quite a lot. I also feel a lot mot positively about the dram now than the first time,
Rewarding
✔️
⭐ Super Value
Craigellachie | 17yo | 46% | Official
5cl sample review
⚡Experience
A little closed on the nose at first. Outdoorsy and farmy notes (earth, mineral, and sweetly fragrant plants and flowers), then fruits (strawberry coulis, dried figs and orange slices), nuts (almond), and spices (cinnamon).
P: Sweetish and savoury, and really chewy with rich flavour: fruit leathers, animal leather, some very fruity tobacco and a trail of wood fire smoke that bloom out after some second with each sip.
A herbal bitterness in the finish at first. Then long-lasting dried fruits and berries (apricots, mullberries)
💡Thoughts
The nose is good, the palate is fantastic. In my current stage of whisky enjoyment, I’m really into these dynamic experiences where the tobacco and leather really blooms and subsides with each sip.
Rewarding
✔️
Craigellachie | 19yo | 50% | Official
🌐
Scotch single malt
🪵
ex-bourbon, finished in 1st fill sherry + bourbon
🔆
unchillfiltered & natural color
💲
€170
🔗
whiskybase (or other batch)
5cl sample review
⚡Experience
Here I can really smell the age (which I bet has an average way above 19). There are fruits and flowers and oak but it’s really complex and fused: ripe pears, buttercups, old cognac, honey, meadow, perfume, jasmine, eucalyptus, fresh grass. I could nose this indefinitely.
Sweet, briny, savoury. Pears, tropical fruits, hard candy, just the right amount of sulphur, smoke and ‘dirt’ to elevate the experience.
💡Thoughts
This is really hitting the spot for me. I’m even getting a bit emotional. It’s the kind of dignified old oak that I got with Bunnahabhain 25 and Springbank 21; not the overloaded oak juice of some other drams in this age range (looking at you, Glen Keith). I need to have a bottle of this.
Personal Favourite
❤️
Conclusions
I’m really blown away by all three of these whiskies. Really characterful: tropical fruits, sweet and savoury and funky with a tobacco smokiness. Definitely on a par with Springbank and Ben Nevis. Craigellachie — you have now become one of my favourite distilleries! Should’ve got a sample of the 23yo as well. Can it get even better?
DuckDrams 
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