Craigellachie 11 Years Old 2002 Cask #4 (A.D. Rattray)

A.D. Rattray bottled this Craigellachie, an 11 year old, distilled in 2002, from cask 4, bottled at 60%, one of 297 bottles. Craigellachie was built in 1891 and is one of the few distilleries still using worm tubs. Its malt has long been the muscular heart of 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. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and a tropical fruit over the meaty spirit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the robust body turning fruitier. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. Long ageing turns the young, sulphurous spirit towards mango, wax and a warm spice. It was launched as a single malt brand in 2014, with a bare knuckle, old fashioned image.

At cask strength 60% it is full bodied. A robust, oily fruitiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is heavy and oily, the fruit carried on a meaty body. Tropical fruit, malt and a savoury oak see out the finish. This is Craigellachie, the meaty heart of White Horse.