Craigellachie 11 Years Old whic Amazing Whiskies (whic – Whiskycircle)

The bottler whic - Whiskycircle bottled this Craigellachie, an 11 year old, bottled at 61.6%, one of 289 bottles. Craigellachie sits above Telford's famous Spey bridge, a Speyside distillery of real muscle. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is robust and full, mellowing to tropical fruit with age.

The spirit was drawn off pot stills cooled by traditional worm tubs, giving the heavy, oily spirit at its heart. An Oloroso hogshead lent fig, raisin and a savoury, nutty edge. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into vanilla as ethyl esters lend a riper, tropical fruit over the meaty malt. Long ageing turns the young, sulphurous spirit towards mango, wax and a warm spice. Water comes from a local spring in the Blue Hill area above the village. Most Craigellachie goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt.

At a natural 61.6% it is full and honeyed. Mango, wax and a meaty depth, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Beneath it run meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil. The close is long, fruit over a meaty malt. This is a meaty, tropical Speyside single malt.