Craigellachie 15 Years Old 2007 Cask #HL 19528 (Old Malt Cask)

A Craigellachie of a 15 year old chosen by the independent Hunter Laing, distilled in 2007, from cask HL 19528, bottled at 50%, one of 753 bottles. Craigellachie is a Speyside distillery in the village of the same name, famous for its muscular, meaty single malt. It sits at the village of Craigellachie, where the River Fiddich joins the Spey by Telford's iron bridge.

It was made in copper stills whose worm tubs build a robust make, for an oily, robust make that turns tropical with age. A sherry butt held it, the wood lending raisin and walnut to the robust spirit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (pineapple and mango) over the oily, meaty depth. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. The robust make rewards long ageing, the meatiness giving way to tropical fruit.

At a hearty 50% it carries real weight. Pineapple, malt and a savoury edge, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil. The close is long, fruit over a meaty malt. This is a meaty, tropical Speyside single malt.