Craigellachie 16 Years Old 2007 Cask #900582 (Connoisseurs Choice)

The Elgin house Gordon and MacPhail bottled this Craigellachie, a 16 year old, distilled in 2007, from cask 900582, bottled at 64.5%, one of 604 bottles. Craigellachie is a Bacardi owned Speyside distillery whose worm tubs give a heavy, meaty spirit. Its malt has long been the muscular heart of the White Horse blend.

Made in copper stills whose worm tubs build a robust make, for a bold, meaty Speyside spirit. An Oloroso hogshead lent fig, raisin and a savoury, nutty edge. In the oxidative middle years oxidation draws out a deeper tropical fruit, vanillin and lactones fully expressed. Refill oak lets the muscular Craigellachie character lead, malt and tropical fruit beneath. It was rebuilt in 1965, but kept its worm tubs where most distilleries dropped them. The official range runs a thirteen, seventeen and twenty three year old, with rare older bottlings.

Bottled at a cask strength 64.5%, it is rich. Malt, dried fruit and a savoury oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil. A robust, malty finish ends on tropical fruit and a warm spice. This is the worm tub malt of Craigellachie.