Craigellachie 11 Years Old 2008 Single Cask Cask Strength (Hart Brothers)

An 11 year old Craigellachie from the Glasgow bottler Hart Brothers, distilled in 2008, bottled at 56.5%. Craigellachie is a Speyside distillery in the village of the same name, famous for its muscular, meaty single malt. It was launched as a single malt brand in 2014, with a bare knuckle, old fashioned image.

Worked through stills and worm tubs for a muscular, oily spirit, for the muscular, meaty make Craigellachie is known for. Ex-Bourbon casks held it, the oak letting the oily, robust character lead. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the malt, the worm tub weight softening to tropical fruit. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is heavy and full, mellowing with time. The heavy, oily make is prized by blenders for the backbone it gives White Horse. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the oily, tropical core over the years.

At a hearty 56.5% it carries real weight. A heavy, oily maltiness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A dried fruit and a savoury, oily depth give it weight. The finish runs meaty, waxy and warm. This is an oily, tropical Speyside single malt.