Craigellachie 23 Year

To finish off my exploration through some of the Craigellachie releases is a sample of their 23 year that @ctbeck11 was generous to provide. The nose starts with a mix of mango, flambéed bananas, charred pineapple, and freshly lit pipe tobacco then hay bales, vanilla cream puff, candied pecans and chocolate covered chewy caramels followed by sautéed apples, mandarin orange and watermelon hard candy that transitions to white pepper, cloves, leather and polished antique furniture with low ethanol burn. The taste is a rich and oily mouthfeel starting with creamy fruits of mango, flambéed bananas, charred pineapple and freshly lit pipe tobacco then chocolate covered toasted marshmallow, honeysuckle, rosemary and butterscotch caramels followed by pear tarte, mandarin oranges and caramelized peaches that transitions to white pepper, cloves, leather and polished antique furniture with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with creamy tropical fruits, hay bales, dark chocolate, freshly lit pipe tobacco, rosemary, leather and polished antique furniture. This is a spectacular dram that all the flavors found on the 17 year have carried over with a mix of creamy rich tropical fruits, farmyard, tobacco, herbs and polished antique furniture that the extra years have polished out any remaining sourness while improving the mouthfeel to be rich and velvety with a long and luscious fruity finish.

Nose: Immediately full and commanding. Fresh and preserved tropical fruits, roasted nuts, leather car seats, a hint of smoked tea, treacle toffee, crème caramel, stewed stone fruits and a touch of orange oil. Lovely. 9/10 Palate: Luscious and seductive from the first drop, the oily texture carries flavours of grilled tropical fruit, chocolate mole, butterscotch sauce and oatmeal biscuits but all the rich sweetness is perfectly balanced by a delicate melange of spices. There is a meaty quality to this malt but it’s not a barbecue presence, more like Cumberland sauce suggesting the presence of red meat laced with fruit. 8/10 Finish: Long. Oily, slightly drying and delightfully grubby with the dark tropical, almost rum-like notes persisting. 8.5/10 A stunner. I have not tried this previously, due to the cost, but when I found a bar-pour at the Aberfeldy distillery it just had to be done … and now I want a bottle. This is like all the best parts of an old vintage Balblair crossed with a light, fruity-style Mortlach. Lovely whisky, if you can afford it then just buy a bottle and enjoy. Everything produced by Craigellachie is worth tasting, but this is the best of their lineup that I have so far tried. Tasted as a 30ml pour at a distillery bar. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars)

I was eager to try this 23yo expression of Craigellachie, since it has been praised by some critics, and i have had the 13yo which blew my mind for a Speyside Whisky. What better way to drink something from this distillery, than in the Craigellachie Hotel itself. Bottled at 46%abv a nice yellow golden color. On the nose, the Craigellachie typical honey note is here. Apples, orange peel, super elegant and fancy aroma. Gooseberries and a little burnt hay; very clean hay note. On the palate, honey and lemon is the name of the game. It is like a Cough medicine, but in one of those hard caramels; Cough candy. Aftertaste is sulphuric and elegant, but a little short. Salt, Honey, candy. A little dim. Overall, i believe this is an enjoyable dram, that offers nothing more than the great 13yo. It is actually pretty similar, but goes for 150 dollars more. Craigellachie is the home of Dewars, and you can feel this single malt is the heart of that famous blend. Having said that, this is good, but not my first choice for the price.... i won't be a choice at all. The 13yo is far superior in that way. My score for it is 83 over 100.

The nose is very citrus and gentle, with an enveloping hint of wax pastels. Honey and vanilla caress the nose, opening the door to more fruity tones, of pineapple and mango, and sweet, almond nougat. Very elegant and harmonious. On the palate it is slightly spicy, with cinnamon and a touch of pepper, increasing the fruity and tropical soul together with vanilla and honey wrapped in wax. Citrus fruits are always very bright and present, with a predominance of lemon, together with a herbaceous and balsamic touch on the background. Very pasty and rich, with a rhubarb note that creeps in the aromas and revives the experience, keeping it varied and engaging. Long and balsamic finish, made of wax, lemon, rhubarb and wood. Stratified and complex, elegant and almost austere, it takes time and concentration to grasp its facets, it is certainly not suitable for a distracted drink in its fiercely elitist essence.

This whisky unfurled in surprising ways over the course of a glass, starting dry before yielding more fruity flavors. The nose is initially sandalwood, but hints of peach and nectarine emerge with time. Dry and slightly waxy flavors in the mouth at first reminded me of sucking a dried apricot — there’s no burst of fruit, just the foretaste. The finish, though, is where it really shines, with a long tail of golden sultanas that lingers for an age. It’s all carried by a rich backbone that has a touch of orange and a thick mouthfeel that hints at canned fruit syrup. I greatly enjoyed this whisky. It’s not one for newbies but perfect for the more jaded palette, like a cross between a Clynelish and a well-aged Irish whiskey. Huge thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Like a struck match but somehow smells like it is still ready to burn. Incredibly warm like sitting beside a long burning fire but without the intensity of a fast burn. Lifting your glass to taste the thick fluid still clings to the sides and your first taste reveals hints of spice, with loads of heavy esthers. Not very noticeable bit slight hints of nuts, maybe tree nuts or almond buried deep within. Delicious.