Craigellachie 14 Years Old 1997 Finest (Hart Brothers)

A Craigellachie of a 14 year old chosen by the Glasgow bottler Hart Brothers, distilled in 1997, bottled at 57.5%. Craigellachie is an old fashioned Speyside malt, full bodied and sulphurous in youth, tropical with age. With age the meaty young spirit turns to pineapple, mango and a waxy depth.

Distilled for the heavy, meaty spirit Craigellachie is known for, for an oily, robust make that turns tropical with age. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding vanilla and a waxy tropical fruit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the robust body turning fruitier. The meaty, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its robust, worm tub weight. The official range runs a thirteen, seventeen and twenty three year old, with rare older bottlings. Its malt has long been the muscular heart of the White Horse blend. Craigellachie is one of the last Speyside malts still built on worm tubs.

At cask strength 57.5% it is full bodied. Mango, wax and a meaty depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. It is robust and waxy, the muscular spirit shining through. The finish is deep, oily and savoury. This is the worm tub malt of Craigellachie.