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KWM 2020 Whisky Calendar Day 2: Craigellachie 13 Year Old

Posted on November 7, 2021

by Evan

We have hit day two of December in the year 2020. Crack today's door open on your KWM Whisky Calendar and you will find the Craigellachie 13 Year Old.



Let's start with a side note: Us Canadians are used to a different pronunciation of Craigellachie than the Scots. We also often know it more as the B.C. town where the last spike in the Canada Pacific Railway was driven into railway tie - and we pronounce it something like "Craig-a-latch-key" - if you drop the key in "key". For proper pronunciation of the Distillery name, the CH in CraigellaCHie is hardened to a "k" sound. I would love to link to the great Brian Cox saying it for our benefit on Youtube, but sadly I don't think he recorded that one. Instead, here is some other guy saying it.

Now, back to our regular programming!



Craigellachie Distillery resides in Banffshire, Scotland in the heart of Speyside - not too far down the road from both Macallan and Aberlour distilleries, among others. Craigellachie was founded in 1891 and is currently owned by Bacardi under their John Dewar's and Sons Scotch Whisky Branch. It is one of five Scottish Distilleries own by Bacardi, all of which are bottled under their Last Great Malts line of single malts.



Craigellachie is one of less than 20 distilleries in Scotland operating today to utilize worm tubs to condense the spirit vapours coming up off the neck of the pot stills. From the neck, the spirit vapour flows through a lyne arm that connects to a long line of copper tubing that is submerged in a large vat of cooling water. Though this piping might be lengthy, it doesn't allow as much copper contact as a more typical spiral tubed condenser would.

The resulting spirit retains more heavy, meaty, sulphury notes that would have been stripped out with increased copper contact. This is what gives Craigellachie its rich, meaty style at such a young age. It is also what makes Craigellachie sought after for blending, just as it does with the likes of Mortlach, Benrinnes and Balmenach - other distilleries that utilize worm tubs. Master of Malt has a short Youtube video on this that provides a good view and explanation.

 

Craigellachie is primarily used by Bacardi/Dewar's for its Dewar's White Label and other Blended Scotch Whisky the company creates. Beyond that, it is also used by the likes of John Glaser and Compass Box - it plays an integral role in a Blended Scotch that the company bottled just for us: The Great King Street Glasgow KWM Marrying Cask.

Craigellachie is one of only two distilleries to be bottled at a respectable 46% ABV in Bacardi's Last Great Malts family of single malts - the other being Aultmore. What makes it unique in the line is that all official Craigellachie bottlings thus far have been released with age statements that happen to be prime numbers. There is the 13 Year Old that we will be tasting, as well as ages 17, and 23 years old in the core range. There is also a 19-year-old duty-free bottling and a few older that we haven't seen much of yet in Alberta: these are 31, 33, 39, and 51 years old respectively.



Enough of those other prime numbers though. Let's open the cap on the 13-year-old and see what it gives us!

Craigellachie 13 Year Old - 46%

Evan's Tasting Note

Nose: Honey roasted peanuts, honey ham, chamomile, Crème brûlée, brown sugar, peaches and cream, white chocolate, mango, and apple crumble.

Palate: Sweet and spicy. Teriyaki sauce with pineapple, canned peaches, ginger ale, glazed pastries, nutmeg, chamomile again, and salty pistachios and cashews.

Finish: Warm and creamy with lingering honey and nut notes.

Comment: This 13-year-old has been a solid dram since its debut and continues to be an easy recommendation at its price point.

Two days in, and we have had one Rye and one Single Malt Scotch. What will door number three reveal? We shall find out tomorrow!

Cheers,
Evan
evan@kensingtonwinemarket.com
Twitter and Instagram: @sagelikefool

This entry was posted in Store, Whisky, Tastings, KWM Whisky Calendar 2020, Whisky Calendars

 

 

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