For years, the Craigellachie Distillery was used almost exclusively for churning out whisky to be used in blends, most notably Dewars (who owns the distillery), which relies heavily on Craigellachie distillate to lend depth and personality to it's standard lineup. Fortunately for fans of characterful and unique whisky, in 2014 they began to bottle their own whisky under their own name as a 13 year old single malt, remaining since that time one of the best value bottles on the market, with a unique sweet-savory, meaty-rich character that defies the standard Speyside style, while still being eminently approachable.
This special release edition takes that same 13 year old whisky and re-casks it in French oak Armagnac casks after the initial aging in Bourbon barrels, instead of the Sherry casks that the standard bottling uses for secondary aging. The results are still recognizably Craigellachie, but with a more subtle and gently spiced approach. The nose opens with the signature struck match smell alongside brown sugar, apple and pear tart, minerality, ripe peach, and baking spices. The palate is filled with toffee, tingly pepper, stone fruits, apple pie, and a hint of barrel char. Bottled at 46% abv.
