Craigellachie 8 Years Old 2002 Cask #90008 (The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd.)

The bottler The Vintage Malt Whisky Co Ltd bottled this Craigellachie, an 8 year old, distilled in 2002, from cask 90008, bottled at 46%, one of 800 bottles. Craigellachie is a robust, fruity Speyside single malt from the heart of the region. It was rebuilt in 1965, but kept its worm tubs where most distilleries dropped them.

The spirit was drawn off pot stills cooled by traditional worm tubs, for the muscular, meaty make Craigellachie is known for. Maturation in an Oloroso cask laid dried fruit over the meaty, oily malt. At an extractive age eugenol lends a clove note and lactones a coconut, the spirit heavy, oily and robust. Years in oak round the spirit, the worm tub weight turning to pineapple and wax. With age the meaty young spirit turns to pineapple, mango and a waxy depth. The meaty, oily spirit takes cask flavour well while keeping its robust, worm tub weight. Water comes from a local spring in the Blue Hill area above the village.

Bottled at 46%, it is rounded. A heavy, oily maltiness, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. It finishes robust, waxy and warm. This is one of Speyside's most robust single malts.