Craigellachie 14 Years Old 2007 Cask #309704 (The Whisky Chamber)

A Craigellachie of a 14 year old chosen by the bottler The Whisky Chamber, distilled in 2007, from cask 309704, bottled at 54.7%, one of 225 bottles. Craigellachie sits above Telford's famous Spey bridge, a Speyside distillery of real muscle. It was rebuilt in 1965, but kept its worm tubs where most distilleries dropped them.

It was distilled in copper stills with worm tub condensers on Blue Hill spring water, building the old fashioned Craigellachie style. A wine cask finish layered fruit over the oily, muscular malt. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the malt, the worm tub weight softening to tropical fruit. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the meaty malt. The heavy, oily make is prized by blenders for the backbone it gives White Horse. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation, the young sulphur fading to fruit.

At its natural 54.7% it is concentrated. Mango, wax and a meaty depth, with plum, red berry and chocolate from the cask. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. A robust, malty finish ends on tropical fruit and a warm spice. This is one of Speyside's most robust single malts.