June 29, 2015

Little H2Hs, today Craigellachie

Make that two middle-aged sherried Craigellachies.

Craigellachie 2002/2014 'Dark Treacle Fondant' (46%, Wemyss Malts, butt, 804 bottles)

A young Craigellachie from a sherry butt, maybe is that akin to an older Macallan? Colour: gold. Nose: there is this slightly matchsticky feeling at first nosing, with some gunpowder and some flints, but as often, these notes tend to go away (or get filtered out by our olfactory bulbs), leaving room for oranges and chalk plus honey and raisins. Something rather steely/metallic as well. Mouth: same feeling, same kind of development, except that it’s the raisins that win it in the end. And they come with some coffee, walnuts, marmalade and ginger cookies. Good texture. Finish: rather long, gingery, spicy. Some kind of curry. Comments: less focussed and ‘chiselled’ than many bottlings by Wemyss. There’s a roughness – and some sulphur – but I’m not crusading against sulphur. SGP551 - 78 points.

Craigellachie 18 yo 1995/2014 (48.4%, Douglas Laing, Old Particular, sherry butt, 252 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: same-ish, but this one’s a notch fruitier and cleaner. Also a little more tea and leather. Chamomile, rosehip, hawthorn, cigarettes. Find the invader. Mouth: praline, crunchy peanut butter, crystallised oranges, raisins, drops of fig-based arak, raisins. The background is quite herbal, and that really saves it. It’s got something of those macha-tea ice creams that you can find in western Japanese restaurants. In truth I find this very good, it just needs time. Finish: rather long, and rather on teacake and oranges. Comments: I think this baby never stopped improving, from early nose to aftertaste. SGP:561 - 85 points.

Check the index of all Craigellachie I've tasted so far

Pete McPeat and Jack Washback