Glencraig 1970 (Bourbon Cask)

Gordon and MacPhail bottled this Glencraig, a 26 year old, distilled in 1970, at 40%. Glenburgie is a Speyside single malt, here in a fuller, waxier form with real weight. Its water is drawn from a local spring near the distillery. It was expanded to six stills after the rebuild, one of the bigger distilleries in the group. It was rebuilt in 1881 by Charles Chree Doig, the architect behind so many Speyside stillhouses.

The spirit was distilled to a fuller, oilier cut, for a fuller, oilier make with real weight. A bourbon barrel held it, the wood adding a soft honey over the orchard fruit. At this evaporative stage ellagitannins lend structure while oxidation builds a richer tropical fruit over a candle wax depth. Active wood frames the fruit without ever crowding the Speyside spirit. Built for the blender's art, the make ages with quiet grace as a single malt. Long ageing turns the fresh apple towards beeswax, tropical fruit and a gentle spice.

At 40% it is bright, waxy and soft. Pear, honey and a thick, waxy oak, over a gentle, creamy oak. Pear, wax and a rich honey fill the middle. The finish is rounded, fruity and waxy. This is the heavier sibling of the Glenburgie house style.