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| Hi, this is one of our (almost) daily tastings. Santé! |
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April 15, 2021 |
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The Time Warp Sessions,
today Craigellachie |
You know, Craigellachie, that very wee village where lies Dewar's Craigellachie Distillery, not to mention Speyside Cooperage! Am I not missing something?... |
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Craigellachie 11 yo (53.6%, James Eadie, first fill oloroso hogshead finish, cask #354551, 302 bottles, 2020) 
Here comes James Eadie, with their smart cask management. Apologies, oak technology. I'm not saying that tongue-in-cheek, I believe it. Colour: reddish mahogany. Or Boris Johnson after two weeks in Morocco. Nose: walnut stain, furniture polish, pecan pie, maple syrup, peanut butter, pancake sauce, Mars bars (deep-fried, if you like), engine oil. All that works a treat but we knew it. With water: oh, new vinyls, fresh-sawn oak, nutmeg… Mouth (neat): huge! Eating pipe tobacco, drinking lapsang souchong (big time!) and quaffing green walnut liqueur (check Silver Seal's bottlings, they're always brilliant and I remember I downed one whole bottle while binge-watching La case de papel, season one). With water: same as long as you do not ad too much water, which would disintegrate it. Finish: long, chocolaty, with more coffee this time. Seville oranges and artichoke liqueur in the aftertaste. Comments: more proof that they're masters at this game.
SGP:472 - 87 points. |
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Craigellachie 1983/2002 (54%, Samaroli, cask #2576, 276 bottles)
I think this one's a little controversial. Colour: lemony straw. Nose: starts with sweet vegetables, I would say, pumpkins perhaps, carrots… There's a lot of rhubarb then, as well as new tyres. I agree that's an odd combination, but it seems to work. Then old wine barrel and even a little cider vinegar. Strange baby, but then again, vive la difference. With water: waxed lemons or lemony waxes. Say lemon-scented candle. Mouth (neat): very intriguing. Waxy lemons and verbena, grapefruit, lemon balm… Really a lot of lemon balm indeed, leading to a feeling of limoncello. A matter of taste, really, I know Angus didn't like it at all, while I'm more favourable to it this far. With water: not earth-shattering, perhaps, but this deep, waxy lemonness just works for me. Finish: rather long, on the same waxy citrus plus something medicinal. Some saltiness in the aftertaste, even oysters. Even echoes of Laphroaig if you want to know everything. Comments: yeah well, not the greatest Samaroli ever for sure, but it's still pretty much up my alley. I told you it's controversial.
SGP:562 - 87 points. |
Let's have a third one that might be more consensual… |
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Craigellachie 14 yo 2000/2014 (50%, Hunter Laing, Old Malt Cask, sherry butt, 680 bottles)
Craigellachie plus sherry, that's M******n, no? Colour: gold. Nose: it's not often that I'm finding this much peanut butter in the first sniff. Or roasted peanuts, macadamia nuts, sesame oil… That makes it almost smoky, and certainly very very, and I mean very nice. Also praline, black nougat, pistachio halva, stuff like that. In fact, we're drinking whisky just because nougat is too full of calories. With water: earth, saponin, pinecones, retsina. We're moving to the borders now, but there is some action. Mouth (neat): a tiny metallic/soapy note in the arrival, not unseen with sherry casks, but the unfolding's all most pleasant, all on nutty flavours, with drops of stout and old palo cortado. With water: leather and tobacco, with a much drier, and even saltier development. Finish: long leafy, salty, leathery. Comments: did anyone notice any salt in several Craigellachies? And smoke? And leather? And tobacco?
SGP:352 - 85 points. |
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