Craigellachie 13 Years Old 2006 (Simon Brown Traders)

This Craigellachie was bottled by the bottler Simon Brown Traders, a 13 year old, distilled in 2006, bottled at 43%. Craigellachie sits above Telford's famous Spey bridge, a Speyside distillery of real muscle. Bacardi's John Dewar and Sons bought it in 1998, alongside Aberfeldy, Aultmore and Royal Brackla.

Distilled for the heavy, meaty spirit Craigellachie is known for, building the old fashioned Craigellachie style. A refill bourbon hogshead held it, keeping the meaty character to the fore. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the malt, the worm tub weight softening to tropical fruit. The oily spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and tropical fruit over a meaty malt. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is robust and full, mellowing to tropical fruit with age. It keeps its worm tub condensers, an old fashioned set up that builds a heavy, meaty, sulphurous spirit.

At 43% it is clean and soft. Meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil, with a soft vanilla from the oak. Soft tropical fruit and a waxy malt sit behind the cask. The finish runs meaty, waxy and warm. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real character.