I became quite smitten with Craigellachie a few months back. A rather immediate consequence has been the hoarding of additional samples, of which I now have about six. Time to get to work and knock them down before they proliferate further! For a middle-of-the-week tasting, I’ll restrain myself to two non-CS samples…
Craigellachie | 14yo | 40% | Official
from a 5cl sample bottle
🗒️ Tasting notes
Nosing: Oodles of sweet tropical fruits (mango, kiwi, syrup), a definite candle wax note, and a combination of lightly funky and dusty impressions (oak, dunnage, fermentation – quite Springbanky actually). I also find cocoa and flower-scented soap.
Sipping: light in texture, as the ABV would imply. Semi-sweet, and opens with some very ripe but not so intense tropical fruits, but in a few seconds quite assertive cereal, roasted, and spicy/herbal notes take over (malt, finncrisp, coffee, nutmeg, dried leaves). Banana in the early finish, then a mild and fruity tobacco.
💭 Comments
I really like the profile here with the tropical, the malty, and the funky. But I find the palate is not keeping together that well; it’s at first a bit watery, and then a bit too spicy. Higher proof would bind it together more I think.
Even without a side by side comparison, I can quite confidently assert that the current Craigellachie 13 is overall better. So no reason to pay almost double at auction for this prior version.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
In a nutshell
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🔴🟡⚫
Craigellachie was good then, but even better now
Craigellachie | “Exceptional Cask Series / CR 0995” | 23yo (1995) | 46% | Official
from a 5cl sample bottle
🗒️ Tasting notes
Nosing: Juicy oak write large: nectar, golden sultanas, dried fruits (mango, apricot), sandalwood, old books. Elegant, but not so multifaceted.
Sipping: Not so sweet, but quite briny; and with a vitalizing bitterness. The flavour profile is first dominated by dried fruits (including strawberry) and nuts (toasted almonds, cashews), then progresses through leathery / musky notes, to finish more on the bitter herbs and pipe tobacco. Long finish that returns towards the sultanas and nuts.
💭 Comments
It’s a really fine dram indeed, but I can’t help but feel a little disappointed because of my sky-high expectations. I wanted this to be among my all-time favourites, on a par with the best Ben Nevises, Juras, and Bunnas I’ve reviewed, but we’re not quite there. There is a certain loss of original character compared to the younger Craigellachies. I do think this one would grow with time, and paying €200 for a bottle would not be unjustified. I might have a go with some other batch of 23yo if I find it at this price. But what the heck, let’s not loose sight of the fact that this is absolutely deserving of a ❤️ for the taste.
Deliciousness
Fun factor
Value for money
In a nutshell
⚫⚫🟢
⚫🟡⚫
⚫⚫⚫
Juicy oak writ large
Personal favourite ❤️
DuckDrams 
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