Craigellachie 16 Years Old 2009 Cask #207 (Signatory)

This Craigellachie was bottled by the Pitlochry bottler Signatory Vintage, a 16 year old, distilled in 2009, from cask 207, bottled at 55.7%, one of 310 bottles. Craigellachie was founded in 1891 by a consortium led by Peter Mackie of White Horse fame. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is robust and full, mellowing to tropical fruit with age.

It was run through the distillery's stills and old fashioned worm tubs, for the muscular, meaty make Craigellachie is known for. It was matured in refill ex-Bourbon oak, vanilla and a tropical fruit over the meaty spirit. Into oxidative maturity, slow air ingress builds fruity ethyl esters (pineapple and mango) over the oily, meaty depth. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. A big sherry cask suits the muscular spirit, dried fruit meeting the meaty weight.

At cask strength 55.7% it is full bodied. Mango, wax and a meaty depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is heavy and oily, the fruit carried on a meaty body. The close is long, fruit over a meaty malt. This is an oily, tropical Speyside single malt.