Craigellachie 23 Years Old 1983 Cask #2577 (Samaroli)

A Craigellachie of a 23 year old chosen by the bottler Samaroli, distilled in 1983, from cask 2577, bottled at 45%, one of 240 bottles. Craigellachie, where the Fiddich meets the Spey, is the meaty backbone of the White Horse blend. The official range runs a thirteen, seventeen and twenty three year old, with rare older bottlings.

The spirit was distilled for the heavy, meaty spirit Craigellachie is known for, building the old fashioned Craigellachie style. First fill bourbon gave a fuller vanilla and pineapple over the robust spirit. Through the evaporative decades the spirit concentrates, esters folding into mango, beeswax and a warm spice. Most Craigellachie goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt. The robust make rewards long ageing, the meatiness giving way to tropical fruit. Refill oak lets the muscular Craigellachie character lead, malt and tropical fruit beneath.

At 45% it is smooth and honeyed. Meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is heavy and oily, the fruit carried on a meaty body. The finish is deep, oily and savoury. This is Craigellachie's robust, oily Speyside style.