46% ABV, natural colour, UCF, app. €45-55 / £40 - 50
“The times they are a changing”. Bawb knew it decades ago already. You see, when I did the original series on this topic a year or so ago, one of the whiskies that was suggested to me the most, was the whisky I’ll discuss today. It already made the longlist in any case, and I did make a mental note of it at the time to review it somewhere down the road. It only took 15 or so months to get to it. And in that time, things might have changed. Indeed, I feel as if perhaps this whisky shouldn’t be in this month’s list at all, for the fairly obvious reason that it no longer is (spoiler alert) an unsung hero, but has, way overdue, finally managed to get noticed (and praised) by a wider audience. So at the risk of arriving more than fashionably late to the party, it’s time to put the focus of attention on Craigellachie 13 yo.
Craigellachie is one 5 distilleries under the ownership of Dewar’s (who in turn are owned by Bacardi). As far back as 2014 -2015, all of Dewar ‘s distilleries started seeing releases of core range expressions, but that doesn’t mean they were all treated with equal amounts of TLC. By and large, Dewar’s main focus seems to be on their Aberfeldy distillery (sidenote: a whisky that often screams ‘missed potential’ – so fruity and zesty yet poorly presented at minimal ABV, coloured and chill filtered) promoted to the outside world as the ‘home’ of Dewar’s. I’m by no means a marketing expert, but it’s fairly easy to understand why. For starters, Aberfeldy distillery is a beauty to look at, and the vicinity and the surroundings are equally lovely and picturesque. Quite possibly the marketing mantra of ‘location, location, location,’ is at play here as well. Aberfeldy, built in the southern Highlands in Pertshire, is conveniently located near the A9, which connects Scotland from north to south, making it an easy and obvious stop for visitors and tourists. While Aberfeldy has been a key ingredient in all of Dewar’s blends from the word go, as a single malt it’s doing fairly well also. With some 1.5 million bottles of their 12yo sold each year, you can see why Bacardi are putting most of their eggs in their Aberfeldy basket.
Which might explain why Craigellachie had to settle for second row, despite holding some strong cards as well. Craigellachie, truth be told, isn’t as ‘good looking’ or picture perfect as its sister distillery. But seeing how it’s located very closely to some of the most iconic whisky “attractions” in the world, it might not need the extra publicity in any case: right next door you bump into the world famous Craigellachie Hotel (founded by the same person, Alexander Edward, who became one of the most celebrated, leading persons in whisky at the turn of the 20th century), and you need but to walk a mile or so to find yourself either at the Speyside Cooperage or at the famous Easter Elchies, home of The Macallan.
But looks and location only go so far, as after all it’s what’s inside the bottle that counts! And here Craigellachie definitely has the high ground (for enthusiasts, anyway): it’s the only Dewar’s distillery equipped with worm tubs (and if you want to know why that‘s of importance, please click here) and it’s bottled at 46% ABV, without colouring or chill filtration. Eat that, Pertshire!
Nose
Apples, both red and green. Grainy, with notes of barley sugar and French toast. More fruity sweetness with pear syrup, raspberry jam, vanilla and granulated sugar. All of these nicely contrasted against a savoury, beefy element. Very inviting indeed.
Palate
Again fruity and grainy, although less sweetness now and more malty and bready. Warm spices with hints of pepper and clove and again that savoury meaty touch with dried beef and beef jerky adding just a whiff of smokiness to it. A syrupy texture prevents it from going all dry, while the mouthfeel is nicely dense and medium full. And while there’s quite a lot going on, it always remains accessible and pleasant and never becomes difficult or overly complex.
Finish
Warming, an pinch of salt and a lingering dryness.
Final thoughts
A lovely, solid and no-nonsense approach to whisky. It doesn’t need bells and whistles, but it’s almost a modern classic, in the true sense of the word. It once again shows what refill American Oak (so I’m guessing mainly ex - bourbon casks) are capable of. While it brings plenty to the table, it’s also easy drinking. If you’re willing to go and explore, it will happily show you what it has to offer, but if you just want to enjoy a decent dram without fussing about things, it won’t let you down either. Job well done!
84/100 (Good stuff!)
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