Craigellachie 19 Year (2003), SMWS 44.160 "Me gusta mucho!"
Whisky: Craigellachie 19 Year (2003), SMWS 44.160 "Me gusta mucho!"
Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside
ABV: 58.3%
Cask: Bourbon Hogshead, First Fill Spanish Oak Oloroso Hogshead
Age: 19 Years (Distilled 27 June 2003)
Nose: Big dried fruits and nuts; spicier elements joined with nutmeg, cinnamon, and hints of black pepper; an underlying herbal tea and spice gradually shifted toward tobacco and cigar boxes with dark chocolate pudding; hints of barbecue chips and match-heads.
Palate: Full-bodied, oily and viscous upfront, drying on the back end; loaded with dried fruits and chocolate, smoked meat bark and leather, dark chocolate with cinnamon and chili pepper, raisins and candle wicks at the end.
Finish: Long and lingering dried fruits and pepper.
Score: 7 (84)
Mental Image: Nagual’s Secret Soufflé Recipe
Narrative & Notes: Rich and sherried, this Craigellachie featured a chocolate and dried fruit explosion with more savory and sulfurous notes hiding in the background. The thick and robust spirit, a product of the worm tubs that allow more heavy or sulfurous compounds to come through, stood up well against an aggressive cask finish. Few distilleries produce a weighty enough spirit to handle such a big cask finish without getting steamrolled; Glenfarclas and Macallan come to mind, so many others end up with all their character stripped away.
Big sherry bombs like this are not usually my style, but I love it when they pull toward dark chocolate, chili pepper, and savory barbecue elements— what a combination. This whisky hit those marks and while I would not pour something like this often, I would absolutely grab this when in the mood for something rich and fruity.
Overall, a pleasant surprise and my kind of sherry-bomb.
