Blue Hill 2003 TCaH (The Caskhound)

The bottler The Caskhound bottled this Craigellachie, a 22 year old, distilled in 2003, from cask 305838, bottled at 50.3%, one of 200 bottles. Craigellachie is a robust, fruity Speyside single malt from the heart of the region. The distillery was founded in 1891 by a group led by Peter Mackie, the man behind the White Horse blend.

The spirit was run through the distillery's stills and old fashioned worm tubs, for an oily, robust make that turns tropical with age. 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. A big sherry cask suits the muscular spirit, dried fruit meeting the meaty weight. Most of its make still goes to blending, a robust filler prized for its weight. It sits at the village of Craigellachie, where the River Fiddich joins the Spey by Telford's iron bridge.

At a hearty 50.3% it carries real weight. Mango, wax and a meaty depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Pineapple, malt and a savoury wax fill the middle. Tropical fruit, malt and a savoury oak see out the finish. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real character.