Craigellachie Whisky
Craigellachie is the rock at the heart of Speyside that refuses to behave like a typical Speyside malt. Using old-fashioned worm tub condensers, called outdated as far back as 1891, the distillery creates a muscular, unmistakably different whisky. |
About Craigellachie
Craigellachie takes its name from the Gaelic word for 'rocky hill' and sits, as the name suggests, high on a rock overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Spey and Fiddich. The distillery sets itself apart from its Speyside neighbours by deliberately sticking with worm tub condensers, an old-fashioned cooling method already considered outdated back in 1891, but which Craigellachie insists on using because it adds extra weight and character to the distillate. The result is a whisky far more robust and muscular than the light, floral style many associate with the region, an anomaly whisky writer Alfred Barnard already noted in his own time.
History & Background
The distillery was built in 1891 by Alexander Edward, also behind Aultmore, in partnership with Peter Mackie of the blending firm White Horse. The buildings were designed by the celebrated Speyside architect Charles Doig, known for his distinctive pagoda roofs, still one of the whisky industry's most recognisable design elements today. The distillery's annual capacity of 3.6 million litres is supplied from a spring on Conval Hill, and the picturesque bridge over the Spey, designed by Thomas Telford, has become one of the most photographed viewpoints in the whisky world.
Production & Style
The worm tub condensers are the core of Craigellachie's character: instead of the modern shell-and-tube condensers most distilleries use today, Craigellachie runs its alcohol vapour through long copper coils submerged in cold water. This gives less contact with the copper, producing a heavier, more sulphurous, robust distillate that matures into a distinct, muscular character.
Signature Style
Muscular, Fruity, Robust
The flavour is robust and fruity with a persistent note of pineapple, backed by a full-bodied, almost meaty character that breaks markedly with the typical light Speyside style.
Facts
| Distillery | Craigellachie |
| Founded | 1891 |
| Pronounced | "Craig-ell-ah-key" |
| Region | Speyside |
| Country | Scotland |
| Owner | Bacardi |
| Official Website | craigellachie.com |
Did You Know?
Craigellachie is one of the last handful of Scottish distilleries still using worm tub condensers at full scale, a method so old-fashioned it was already being called a relic of the past over a hundred years ago.
If you like Craigellachie, you should also try:
Aultmore, Benrinnes and Glenfarclas.