Craigellachie Exceptional Cask Series 11 Years Old 2012

An official release of Craigellachie, an 11 year old, from 2012, cask 5192, at 62.1%, 636 bottles in all. Craigellachie is the bold, oily Speyside malt that anchors the White Horse blend. The distillery was founded in 1891 by a group led by Peter Mackie, the man behind the White Horse blend.

The spirit was made in copper stills whose worm tubs build a robust make, to build a robust, sulphurous, full bodied character. Ex-Sherry wood added a dried fruit richness to the heavy, meaty malt. By the integrating teens the sulphur fades and esters build, pineapple and wax growing over the oily spirit. Craigellachie is one of the last Speyside malts still built on worm tubs. The official range runs a thirteen, seventeen and twenty three year old, with rare older bottlings. Long ageing turns the young, sulphurous spirit towards mango, wax and a warm spice.

At its natural 62.1% it is concentrated. Meaty malt, tropical fruit and a waxy oil, with dried fruit, fig and walnut from the cask. Pineapple, malt and a savoury wax fill the middle. The finish is long, oily and savoury. This is a meaty, tropical Speyside single malt.