31 years old and we're given the notes of "First and refilled casks". Would be nice to know what types? Nose - stately old oak notes. Leather, oak, tropical and lemon citrus notes. Some rich toasted vanilla over more oak. Pineapple perhaps. Light custards and other relaxed desserts. Taste - Rich. Oily. There's a distinct first fill bourbon note. And holy crap this goes places. Spicy pineapple over a light wood smoker. Super rich layers of caramel and vanilla. Light toasted oaks linger forever here. Sweet, savory, and sour notes up front with pepper spices on the finisher. The nose gave this whisky signs of a well aged but underwhelming malt. The pallet however takes you to a new world of rich intense flavors, far exceeding what just over 50% abv should yield. That classic worm wood sulfur is here in large presence with intense sweetness and over powering spices. A truly exceptional whisky. So score - Lets keep price out of here for now. Do I like this over some of the exceptional casks? To be honest, not really. I don't think this uses sherry casks unless they are part of the refill. I love the richness. I love the spice. But it's not wowing me. I'll give it a strong 4.5 but I'm wondering if I'm letting the price skew me. So for the price of 75 for this oz of whisky....likely a pass.
About this bottle
First released in 2014, this 31 year-old single malt tops the Craigellachie lineup. As with its brethren from the distillery, it's touted as having a heartier profile thanks in part to their usage of old-school worm tubs. The award-winning dram—it took home "world's best single malt" honors at the 2017 World Whiskies Awards— is bottled at a natural cask-strength of 52.2%.
How it tastes
Measured across 14 flavor axes. Tap a note to find other bottles that lead with it.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 3 parsed reviews.
Marvellous. Great tropical, floral vanilla character alongside honey and waffles drenched in maple syrup. Nose: Red Apples, Cinnamon, Honey, Caramel, Vanilla, Peaches, Pineapples, Pears, Mangoes, Leather, Raspberry Jam, Dark Chocolate, Bananas, Pork, Heather, Lemon, Buttercream Frosting, Waffles Drenched in Maple Syrup Palate: Honey, Vanilla, Pineapples, Oranges, Peaches, Bananas, Coconuts, Flowers, Heather, Oak, Leather, Waffles, Cherries, White Chocolate, Truffles Finish: Vanilla, Honey, White Chocolate, Oranges, Caramel, Lychee, Truffles
Christmas pudding in a glass.
Tastes like this
Closest flavor profiles across the whole catalog.
