Craigellachie 13 år Single Speyside Malt 46%

Whisky writer Alfred Barnard called the style one seldom met with now, and that was in the nineteenth century. Craigellachie has changed nothing since — which is exactly the point.

Expert description

Craigellachie 13 years is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in oak casks and bottled at 46%.

The distillery was built in 1891 on the rock of Craigellachie between Rothes and Dufftown, where the rivers Fiddich and Spey meet. The name is Gaelic and means rocky hill. Condensing still happens in worm tubs, giving less copper contact than modern plant, which is why the whisky carries the meaty, faintly sulphurous edge that sets it apart from its neighbours. For decades most of the production went into blends such as White Horse, and only in 2014 did the distillery get a range of its own.

Tasting notes

Nose

Baked apple, pear and ripe pineapple first. Then vanilla, honey and cereal, with a spiced smoke and a light mineral note that is the house signature.

Palate

Full and oily. Pineapple, citrus, sweet malt and caramelised sugar, with a touch of flint and smoke from the sulphurous edge. The oak gives depth without taking over.

Finish

Long, warm and spiced, with oak, fruit and a hint of toasted malt.

Specifications

Name: Craigellachie 13 years Single Speyside Malt Whisky 46%
Distillery: Craigellachie
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 13 years
ABV: 46 %
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Oak casks
EAN no.: 5000277003389

Flavour profile

Fruity · Spiced · Malty · Mineral · Lightly Smoked

Did you know?

Pineapple runs through the entire Craigellachie range, and it is no accident. The heavy vapour from worm tubs leaves sulphur compounds behind, and years in cask turn them into a clear tropical fruit note — one of the strangest and most recognisable signatures in Scotch whisky.

See our full range of Craigellachie Whisky

Frequently asked questions about Craigellachie 13 years

What is a worm tub and what does it do?

An old-fashioned condenser where the vapour runs through a coiled pipe submerged in cold water. There is less copper contact than in modern plant, giving a heavier, meatier spirit with a faintly sulphurous edge.

Does it taste like other Speyside malts?

No, and that is exactly why it is worth trying. Where the region is typically light and fruit-sweet, Craigellachie is muscular, oily and spiced. See the contrast in our Speyside Whisky.

What does the sulphurous edge mean?

It is a flinty, smoky note coming from distillation. It sounds worse than it tastes — in practice it gives depth and the very edge many people look for in this whisky.

Is it peated?

Only lightly, and the smoke comes from distillation rather than peated malt. It is a different smoke from Islay, more spiced and mineral than tarry.

Why 46 percent?

Because the higher strength carries the oily texture better than 40%. It also means the whisky takes a couple of drops of water if you want to open the fruit further.

What food goes with it?

Try it with grilled meat or a robust hard cheese. The meaty style and spiced notes can hold up to food where a light Speyside would disappear.