Craigellachie 13 Years Old 2011 Cask #7540775 (Duncan Taylor)

A Craigellachie of a 13 year old chosen by the Huntly bottler Duncan Taylor, distilled in 2011, from cask 7540775, bottled at 54.5%, one of 75 bottles. Craigellachie is a robust, oily Speyside single malt made on worm tub condensers. The distillery was founded in 1891 by a group led by Peter Mackie, the man behind the White Horse blend.

It was run through the distillery's stills and old fashioned worm tubs, to build a robust, sulphurous, full bodied character. An Oloroso hogshead lent fig, raisin and a savoury, nutty edge. In integration lactones (coconut) and vanillin (vanilla) knit with the malt, the worm tub weight softening to tropical fruit. Refill oak lets the muscular Craigellachie character lead, malt and tropical fruit beneath. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. The official range runs a thirteen, seventeen and twenty three year old, with rare older bottlings.

At 54.5%, undiluted, it is deep and fruity. Tropical fruit, malt and a warm spice, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. It is robust and waxy, the muscular spirit shining through. It finishes robust, waxy and warm. This is the muscular, meaty Speyside malt of Craigellachie.