Craigellachie 2011/2023 Duncan Taylor 12 year old Private Cask Bottling Single Speyside Malt Whisky 52,4%

Orange oil, cherry and blackberry jam. That does not sound like Craigellachie — until you notice the cask is a sherry butt, and that it has had twelve years to do its work.

Expert description

Craigellachie 2011/2023 Duncan Taylor 12 years Private Cask Bottling is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky matured in a sherry butt and bottled at cask strength of 52.4%.

The cask gave 667 bottles and belongs to Duncan Taylor's Private Cask line. The house is based at Huntly in Aberdeenshire and has since 1938 built one of the largest private stocks of Scotch whisky in the trade. Craigellachie condenses in worm tubs and makes a heavy, meaty spirit that needs an active sherry cask to find balance — here twelve years is enough to give colour and fruit without erasing the distillery.

Tasting notes

Nose

Intense and dark. Orange oil, juicy cherries, red grapes and blackberry jam, with dates, spiced cake, nutmeg and dark chocolate behind.

Palate

Full and rounded. Chocolate-coated raisins, fig syrup, rosehip jam and black cherries, joined by candied orange, malt, roasted coffee beans and cinnamon.

Finish

Long and intense, dominated by juicy oranges, honey, sherry and dried fruit with a touch of caramel and roasted notes.

Specifications

Name: Craigellachie 2011/2023 Duncan Taylor 12 years Private Cask Bottling Single Speyside Malt Whisky 52,4%
Distillery: Craigellachie
Bottler: Duncan Taylor
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 12 years
ABV: 52.4%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Sherry butt
Distilled: 2011
Bottled: 2023
Number of bottles: 667
Edition: Private Cask Bottling

Flavour profile

Sherried · Dark Berry · Chocolate · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

Medium. 667 bottles from one sherry cask at cask strength. Sherried Craigellachie at this age is in demand, and Private Cask bottlings are never remade.

Did you know?

Duncan Taylor bought large parcels of Scotch casks in 1938 and set them aside. That stock is why the house can today bottle vintages many distilleries have used up themselves — they simply bought in while nobody else bothered.

See our full range of Craigellachie Whisky
See our full range of Duncan Taylor Whisky

Frequently asked questions about Craigellachie 2011/2023 Duncan Taylor 12 years

What is a Private Cask Bottling?

A release from a single cask, selected and bottled without being blended with others. Duncan Taylor uses the term for casks from their own stock that fall outside the standing ranges.

How many bottles exist?

The cask gave 667 bottles. That is a decent outturn for a sherry butt, but the release will not return — there is only the one cask.

What does sherried Craigellachie taste like?

Darker and more fruit-driven than the bourbon-matured releases. You get raisin, cherry and chocolate over the distillery's meaty core, which is still detectable under the sweetness.

Should I add water?

At 52.4% a couple of drops can open the dark fruit and soften the alcohol. Try it neat first, because the texture is a large part of the appeal at cask strength.

What food goes with it?

Try it with dark chocolate or a plate of dried fruit and nuts. The sherry fruit meets the dessert without becoming too sweet.

Who are Duncan Taylor?

An independent Scottish bottling house based at Huntly in Aberdeenshire, founded in 1938. They are known for one of the largest private cask stocks in the trade and for ranges such as The Octave and Black Bull.