Coming Soon - 2013 Lady of the Glen Craigellachie Single Cask #300805a 12 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Malt lovers know Craigellachie as one of Speyside’s bigger distillates, the result of a fast fermentation, little reflux on the large stills and the use of worm tub condensers. This bottling turbo charges the sherry influence via a double maturation - eleven years in a very active refill oloroso butt followed by over eighteen months in an x-oloroso hogshead, adding layers of dried fruit. There is a beautiful oloroso pick up to both the weighty, malty, marmalade-laced bouquet and the dense, oily, honey-drizzled attack. Spices also come through thick and fast with giddy alcohol, weetbix, cream and sweet oak. This has been well handled. Almost a sherry bomb. Better described as a lavish, buxom whisky that achieves a surprising balance at 60.5%, handling water so well as to be two bottles in one. 332 bottles produced but our allocation is tiny. Non chill filtered.

Other reviews... I’ve just noticed the distinguished owners are calling this a ‘Scottish’ whisky rather than a ‘Scotch’ whisky. I know, a rather pointless observation... Colour: amber. Nose: double oloroso, no less! So here we have more walnut cake and a healthy dose of Nescafé. Behind that, nargileh tobacco and fresh leather—think a stopover in Turkey during a Mediterranean cruise. Yup. With water: out comes the damp earth, yet again. Mouth (neat): it’s very creamy, it’s very rich, it’s very good, and it’s already deep into Christmas spices, along with a hefty pour of honey. For once, we’re early... With water: now it’s excellent, rich, jammy, thick, with bags of candied fruits and just the lightest touches of cedarwood and fir. Finish: same again, but with a lovely reappearance of citrus, which is fantastic. Comments: rather brilliant, this double oloroso. 87 points - whiskyfun.com

Notes from the bottlers... Cinnamon doughnut, rich fruit cake and rolling tobacco.