Craigellachie 14 Years Old 2010 Cask #18 (A.D. Rattray)

From A.D. Rattray, a 14 year old Craigellachie, distilled in 2010, from cask 18, bottled at 57.1%, one of 296 bottles. Craigellachie is a Speyside distillery in the village of the same name, famous for its muscular, meaty single malt. It keeps its worm tub condensers, an old fashioned set up that builds a heavy, meaty, sulphurous spirit.

It was made in copper stills whose worm tubs build a robust make, for an oily, robust make that turns tropical with age. A Marsala cask lent raisin and brown sugar to the robust malt. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the robust body turning fruitier. Long ageing turns the young, sulphurous spirit towards mango, wax and a warm spice. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the oily, tropical core over the years. The heavy, oily make is prized by blenders for the backbone it gives White Horse.

At a natural 57.1% it is full and honeyed. A robust, oily fruitiness, with red berry and a dry spice from the cask. The texture is full and oily, the fruit lifted by a meaty weight. The finish is deep, oily and savoury. This is a full bodied Speyside single malt of real character.