Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

One of the most exciting and indeed the oldest dram I tasted during 2019 was the Craigellachie 51 yo single malt whisky. Georgie Bell, the Global Malts Ambassador for Bacardi, brought a few bottles of this very very limited release to South Africa and I was fortunate to try it.

It was my first foray into whisky from the Craigellachie distillery. So let’s look at the entry-level single malt from this distillery, the Craigellachie 13 year old single malt Scotch whisky.

The Craigellachie distillery was built in 1891 by Craigellachie Distillery Co. Limited, a group of blenders and merchants led by Alexander Edward. It is a Speyside distillery in Banffshire that overlooks the little town of Craigellachie. The Gaelic name means “Rocky Hill” and is pronounced Krai-GELLacky.

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The brand is part of the John Dewar & Sons stable. For many years, it was only used in blends like White Horse and various Dewar’s blends.  It is only in 2014 that distillery releases become available. The distillery is known for its meaty, sulphurous nature.

The Craigellachie single malt range includes a 17 year old as well as a 23 year old whisky. There used to be a 19 year old release, but this has been discontinued. There are also various independent bottling available. It is part of the Bacardi stable of brands.

Craigellachie 13 year old Whisky

REGION: Speyside

ABV: 46%

COLOUR: Pale gold

NOSE: Apricots and dried cherries with toffee sweetness. A fruity sweet nose. The nose is like a colourful fruit salad with bits of malt and toasted nuts in the background.

PALATE: Medium body with the sweet fruit salad from the nose continuing on the palate. White pepper, oak, hints and malt with bits of smoky bacon and toasted nuts behind it all. I was hoping for a  bolder meaty note on the palate. There was also a bit of alcohol heat. Water softened the alcohol heat and brought more sweetness to the front.

FINISH: Medium long, with some oak, pepper and fruity sweetness.

RATING: VERY GOOD

It is a good introduction to the Craigellachie stable and taste profile. John enjoyed the Craigellachie without the water, and I preferred it with the water. The water toned down the spices and the alcohol heat and created a smooth drinkable dram.

I want to explore more of the meaty notes from this distillery and need to find the 17 year old release somewhere. I do have a bottle of the discontinued 19 year old whisky in my collection, and perhaps I need to go and open that bottle.

Also Read: The Singleton 15 yo Whisky