Whisky : Craigellachie 13 Year

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 46%

Cask : Ex-Bourbon (?)

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Home

Nose : Notes of sweet clovers and floral honey suckle are joined with a sort of faint strawberry cream and the caramelized edges of a sponge cake. I find there are prominent mineral notes in Craigellachie which remind me a great deal of Springbank. They are not unpleasant, but they definitely stand out among the lighter, sweeter, floral notes.

Palate : Sweet floral honey, dried pine needles, faint hints of mint and ginger. It is sweet like golden syrup added to an herbal tropical fruit infused tea.

Finish : Short to medium with dried spices.

Score : 5

Mental Image : Hiking in the late autumn forest, pausing to drink warm tea from a metal thermos.

Something Better : Arran 10 Year (more tropical fruit)

Something Similar : Glenfiddich 15yr Solera Reserve (less mineral, more berry notes, weaker mouthfeel)

Something Worse : The Shackleton Blended Malt (less intense flavor, weaker mouthfeel)

Notes : As my wife and I went to put away the bottles we bought while on a holiday trip to New York, we found a mysterious new bottle in our scotch cabinet. While being questioned, my Father-in-Law swore he saw our cats and bird pushing a cart down the liquor aisle at Costco. Further investigation revealed a very small card taped to the bottom of the tube with a Merry Christmas note, allegedly signed by the animals.

Of course we had to immediately begin research on the bottle and take samples. My wife was a bit trepidatious of having a new Speyside in the cabinet— aside from fruity Arrans, funky Ledaigs, or pungent Longrows she typically eschews anything not from Islay.

Our investigation revealed a fine bottle of scotch; not colored, not chill-filtered, bottled at a healthy 46% and currently in stock at the local Costco for around $45. It’s not the most amazing bottle— but it is a solid sipper, especially for the price. 

It also holds up well on the rocks, a definite virtue for us, as we like to having a bottle with solid mouthfeel and juicy fruit notes (just not apple) that’s refreshing at the end of the day in the tropics, especially those warm summer nights. The Arran 10 had been our go-to, it was tasty and well priced so that we could enjoy it without feeling as though we were wasting rare or expensive whisky with ice. However the Arran 10 (and all Arran for that matter) has dried up, the few old bottles of the 10 I’ve seen in small ships priced $65 and higher. So welcome home Craigellachie, I may have to stock up a few bottles for the summer heat.