Craigellachie 13 Years Old 2009 Cask #306169 (van Wees)

A 13 year old Craigellachie from the bottler van Wees, distilled in 2009, from cask 306169, bottled at 46%. 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.

It was run through the distillery's stills and old fashioned worm tubs, to build a robust, sulphurous, full bodied character. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding vanilla and a waxy tropical fruit. By the integrating teens the sulphur fades and esters build, pineapple and wax growing over the oily spirit. The meaty, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its robust, worm tub weight. The robust make rewards long ageing, the meatiness giving way to tropical fruit. Vanillin and oak lactones from the wood lend vanilla and coconut over the meaty malt. Craigellachie is one of the last Speyside malts still built on worm tubs.

At 46% it is clean and soft. Tropical fruit, malt and a warm spice, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. The finish is deep, oily and savoury. This is the worm tub malt of Craigellachie.