Craigellachie 13 Year Old Scotch Review
By Richard Thomas
Rating: B+
(Credit: Bacardi)
A distillery in the Dewar’s portfolio, the regular line of Craigellachie is a relatively new fixture among Scottish malts, having been introduced in 2014. The malts have since become known for their meaty quality, something of a middleweight hitter on the spectrum of Speyside malts.
Craigellachie 13 Year Old is drawn from ex-bourbon and ex-Sherry cask stock, and bottled without chill filtration at 46% ABV. Bottling at the upper end of the typical Scotch strength range (40-43-46%) helps contribute to its heft, and it’s the entry-level run of the Craigellachie line.
The Scotch
Craigellachie takes a pale straw cast in the glass. While one is looking at it, another quality comes right out of the glass and greets you, because the malt is very aromatic. The ex-bourbon barrel vanilla leads, but it’s firmly backed by cinnamon, sandalwood and dry wood.
The flavor expands on that profile. The sweet side takes on a banana note; the spicy aspect continues to run strong with cinnamon and sandalwood; the dry end becomes leathery and takes on a tobacco note. The finish runs from the dryness, starting with leathery wood and tobacco, with the latter note fading first and leaving the wood to run on alone for a spell.
The Price
In the U.S., this item is often available for about $53, but could fairly be priced as high as $60. The lower price is what one pays at Total Wine and other big box retailers. The numbers are similar in the UK and Europe, although the currency is different and the bottle 50ml smaller.
