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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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August 1, 2023 |
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Craigellachie, abundantly, part deux |
As we discussed yesterday, there is a lot of Craigellachie around. Remember Craigellachie used to belong to Lagavulin's Peter Mackie, then to the D.C.L./S.M.D., until it was sold to Dewar's in 1998. So, it belongs to Bacardi. In fact I'm wondering whether it isn't my favourite distillery within the Bacardi stable (which gathers no less than Aberfeldy, Aultmore, Brackla, Craigellachie and Macduff). A lot of Macduff soon on WF, by the way.
(Photograph Craigellachie) |
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Craigellachie 2013/2022 (56.8%, Or Sileis, ex-Staoisha bourbon barrel, cask #300562, 245 bottles) 
Taiwan, baby. So, as I understand it, this is some in-cask blended malt done with Bunnahabhain's peated Staoisha (I'm afraid we will have to get used to that, S.) Colour: pale white wine. Nose: it is not a proper peater, not at all, it seems that the marriage was done with care and moderation. A refill cask, perhaps? Now, one will find some beach sand, bits of coal, ashes, barbecued thyme and rosemary, and some bread cooked over fire. A little rubber too. With water: hold on, wasn't it Caol Ila? Mouth (neat): the peat feels much, much more. There were at least 25 litres of Staoisha in the wood. Limoncello, cigar ashes, salt… This time it is clearly a 'peated' Craigellachie. Not sure Sir Peter Mackie would have approved, but let's move on, it's a solid drop. With water: some sardines and anchovies. This is a peated malt whisky and it isn't even a 'lightly peated malt'. Finish: long, salty, coastal, peaty, lemony. Pears. Comments: such a cruel dilemma. I enjoy the end result rather a lot, but I'm not fond, philosophically, of these ways of doing blended malts while keeping the category name 'single malt' as well as the name of the distillery. I'll say this is clearly not a Craigellachie in my book, but I like it rather a lot.
SGP:554 - 85 points. |
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Craigellachie 9 yo 2012/2022 (57.3%, Douglas Laing's Provenance for Or Sileis and Drunk Choice, refill hogshead, cask #15131, 257 bottles)
A pharaoh-cat on the label. There must be some story behind this one that was done for Taiwan too… Colour: white wine. Nose: pure apple cake, muesli, brioche dough, barley sugar, sunflower oil, a little white chocolate, custard… Boy does this work. With water: diving into a mashtun. Mouth (neat): textbook zesty barleyness, citron liqueur, cassata, elderflower fritters, woodruff syrup (stunning stuff when it's well made, I've got some from the Vosges that's perfect), banana cream… All perfect. With water: I said all perfect, and it would water without flinching. Finish: Mother Nature's own dram, very close to barley. Comments: long time no recent single malt from Douglas Laing's, well I am very happy to see that they haven't lost their touch.
SGP:551 - 87 points. |
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Craigellachie 15 yo 2006/2022 (50%, Thompson Bros., refill hogshead, 327 bottles) 
The label is about beard oil. I think I'll have to take a look at that thing, could you make some with some Brora? Or some Dornoch? Please, try… Colour: white wine. Nose: yeah, mash, wash, beers, paraffin indeed, apple juice, barley, draft, kiwi peel… With water: sunflower oil yet again, drawing gum, lanolin, hand cream… Mouth (neat): apples, lemons, lemongrass, green liquorice, crazy daiquiri and pistachio oil. The hogshead was first class – and so was the distillate, naturally. You cannot beat a great hogshead and I think you cannot make bespoke great hogsheads. That's great, it means that whisky may remain an art. With water: pink grapefruits in majesty. Finish: medium, citrusy and oily. Thyme and lemon essential oils. Comments: it's deep like deep wine, and yet so simple. Excellent cask, high quaffability index (TM WF – joking).
SGP:651 - 88 points. |
Wow, that one was great. Let's move on and find some 1st fill BB… … |
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Craigellachie 16 yo 2006/2022 (51.7%, Best Dram, 1st fill bourbon, cask #8101201, 227 bottles) 
A bottling from and for Germany. Ich bin sicher, dass es perfekt sein wird. I mean, I'm sure it'll be perfect. Colour: straw. Nose: yep, heather honey and triple-sec, which would give this baby a wee HP-side. Many aromatic herbs and flowers, especially verbena and gentian. Otherwise sweet roots, white carrots, glazed parsnip gratin, some custard… That's all the barrel, I would say. With water: whiffs of new engine oil, papers… Mouth (neat): the barrel's a tad loud for my taste. Mangos are great but the spices are a little dominant then. Water should help. With water: not too sure. It's very good but it's moving towards cider and sweet beers. Finish: medium, on gueuze I would say. Comments: a little less impressive, the distillate's profoundness may have gotten a bit buried (what?)
SGP:551 - 83 points. |
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Craigellachie 15 yo 2007/2022 (57.9%, Hunter Laing, The First Editions, sherry butt, cask #HL19264 282 bottles)
A bottling for Switzerland. I shan't start to joke about röstis, but I do utterly love röstis. Colour: gold. Nose: some rounder, sweeter, gentler oak impact, with this little smoky and paraffiny touch in the background, otherwise metal polish, mangos, camphor and just a drop of tequila. I know that sounds weird but believe me, it isn't. Lovely. With water: great sherry cask. It's all becoming a little manzanilla-y, with walnuts, mustard, green apples, yellow curry, satay… I bow I bow I bow… Mouth (neat): but how good is this? Thick camphor and eucalyptus oil, walnut skins, green chartreuse, a pinhead of mustard… With water: this is between me and this whisky, but in my head and book and Macintosh, it is just ticking all boxes. Finish: longer than the others, still manzanilla-y. Some kind of mineral smokiness in the aftertaste. Comments: wonderful and poetic. Quasi-90, I'm super-glad to have learned that Craigellachie and fino-y sherry were able to play it like Page und Plant.
SGP:562 - 89 points. |
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Craigellachie 10 yo 2011/2022 (68.9%, The Single Malts of Scotland, butt, cask #900094, 563 bottles)
Colour: light gold. Nose: at this strength, this is not a tasting, it's an assassination attempt. I would suppose Craigellachie fill at 63.5% vol., right? Which means that this should have been stored right under the roof of a large palletised warehouse. I'm getting cakes and nougats on the nose. With water: pancake sauce and black turon, millionaire shortbread, caramelised popcorn… Mouth (neat): it's bearable, it's even excellent, on mango chutney and deep-roasted pecans and peanuts. But there's quite some varnish too, which should not belong here in my book. With water: indeed, varnish is gone but boy is it difficult to bring it down to the right strength. Flavours of sour fruit, orange liqueur and wood extracts come and go with each drop of water you would add. You would almost need a PhD in nuclear chemistry to handle this crazy one. Finish: cakes, praline, roasted nuts and Nutella. Once you've brought it down to 45% vol., having said that. Comments: I say tough boy, It's the equivalent of a 5000-piece puzzle.
SGP:651 - 85 points. |
Officials, the floor is yours… |
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Craigellachie 19 yo (46%, OB, +/-2023) 
Colour: light gold. Nose: it's all on hay and fruit peel, dry white beers and dry wines (old white Bordeaux) plus white/root vegetables. Celeriac, parsnips, asparagus, chalk… Mouth: awesome, really awesome. Salty dry sherry, mustard and walnuts… Well this will be a very short note but this is wonderful. Stunning nutty combo in the background (walnuts, pecans, macadamia). Finish: long, salty, mustardy, manzanilla-y. Green curry sauce in the aftertaste. Comments: this one reminds me of a curry restaurant in Glasgow, named Dakhin (89 Candleriggs). Best Indian food in the UK, better than the Bombay Brasserie in its heyday (I can tell you that I've used and abused that place in my not-so-distant youth). Utterly glorious official Craigellachie.
SGP:552 - 90 points. |
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Craigellachie 23 yo (46%, OB, +/-2023)
Well, I remember we had tried another official 23 in the year 2014, which we just adored (WF 91). But no pressure… Colour: gold. Nose: oh, nuts and mustard, vin jaune, Comté cheese, old leathers, pu-her, chen-pi, umami sauce, old apples, white truffles… Mouth: I'm not fond of the pseudo-Victorian design of the bottles at all, but the juice they've put inside is just ueber-first-grade, stunningly salty, ridden with earthy teas and curries, walnut oils and wines, umami sauce, old dry Madeira, and just… seawater. Holy Suzy! Finish: long and grand. Wonderful oiliness, splendid old kirschwasser. Not sure how they did that. The aftertaste is dirty and drying, but that will appeal to our masochistic side (what? Who said that?) Comments: I say it's flying way above its neighbours. I would add that they should send their Scottish distillers to Puerto-Rico, they may have a few things to teach them. But that's not my business, of course it isn't…
SGP:462 - 91 points. |
One very last official Craigellachie (I promise)… |
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Craigellachie 27 yo 1993/2021 (46%, OB, Exceptional Cask Series, Sauternes, batch #R1393) 
Why they felt the need to finish this old Craigellachie in Sauternes wood for 1 year and 11 months, I have no idea. Was it that bad? Was it really necessary to adjust the seasoning? What had happened previously that went wrong? I mean… Colour: gold. Nose: you would have expected to find apricots and honeys, but it's actually pretty leafy, dry, rather on candlewax and, well, candles. Plus last year's apples. Mouth: nicer, thanks to some apricots and honeys indeed, but we are far from the clarity of all the other Craigellachies we have just tasted, both independent and official bottlings. Finish: medium, too leafy. Bitter herbs, bitter beers, forget. Comments: just no, the finishing did not save it. No good for the reputation of Sauternes, whose life is rather complicated at the moment. Buy the best, they're cheap.
SGP:561 - 78 points. |
I'm a little sad to put an end to this session with such an average expression, but in the end, we will mainly remember the wonderful 19 and 23-year-olds. And, of course, all the independent bottlings... |
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