Craigellachie 13 Years Old 2009 Cask #170484 (Murray McDavid)

From the independent Murray McDavid, a 13 year old Craigellachie, distilled in 2009, from cask 170484, bottled at 58.3%, one of 280 bottles. Craigellachie is the bold, oily Speyside malt that anchors the White Horse blend. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is robust and full, mellowing to tropical fruit with age.

Drawn off pot stills cooled by traditional worm tubs, to build a robust, sulphurous, full bodied character. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the meaty, oily malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into vanilla as ethyl esters lend a riper, tropical fruit over the meaty malt. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. Its malt has long been the muscular heart of the White Horse blend. The heavy, oily make is prized by blenders for the backbone it gives White Horse.

At a natural 58.3% it is full and honeyed. A heavy, oily maltiness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is robust and waxy, the muscular spirit shining through. The close is long, fruit over a meaty malt. This is a meaty, tropical Speyside single malt.