Craigellachie 10 Years Old (Premier Barrel)

The Glasgow bottler Douglas Laing bottled this Craigellachie, a 10 year old, bottled at 46%, one of 354 bottles. Craigellachie, where the Fiddich meets the Spey, is the meaty backbone of the White Horse blend. The distillery was founded in 1891 by a group led by Peter Mackie, the man behind the White Horse blend.

The spirit was distilled in copper stills with worm tub condensers on Blue Hill spring water, for an oily, robust make that turns tropical with age. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla and pineapple beneath the muscular malt. By the integrating teens the sulphur fades and esters build, pineapple and wax growing over the oily spirit. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the oily, tropical core over the years. Most Craigellachie goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt. Bacardi's John Dewar and Sons bought it in 1998, alongside Aberfeldy, Aultmore and Royal Brackla.

Reduced to 46%, it is mellow. Pineapple, malt and a savoury edge, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. The finish runs meaty, waxy and warm. This is the worm tub malt of Craigellachie.