Craigellachie 21 Years Old 1990 Cask #5398 (Duncan Taylor)

The Huntly bottler Duncan Taylor bottled this Craigellachie, a 21 year old, distilled in 1990, from cask 5398, bottled at 55%, one of 326 bottles. Craigellachie is a robust, oily Speyside single malt made on worm tub condensers. Worm tubs give little copper contact, so the new spirit is robust and full, mellowing to tropical fruit with age.

Worked through stills and worm tubs for a muscular, oily spirit, 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. Most Craigellachie goes quietly into blends, a robust filler kept in part as single malt. The meaty, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its robust, worm tub weight. The oily spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and tropical fruit over a meaty malt.

At a natural 55% it is full and honeyed. Pineapple, malt and a savoury edge, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A dried fruit and a savoury, oily depth give it weight. The finish is long, oily and savoury. This is an oily, tropical Speyside single malt.