It's an industrial distillery for sure, highly automatic - even more than see in other places I've seen. Located in the village of Craigellachie on the road to Dufftown, its very much one of those places you just pass and never will get to visit as its not normally open to the public - but a few of us were very luckily to visit during the 2011 Spirit of Speyside Spring Festival.
It's also one of those distilleries that uses worm tubs for cooling, and with that sometimes producing a heavier spirit note, sometimes described as 'meaty' as in i.e. Mortlach that also uses worm tubs. I wouldn't exactly describe the Craigellachie spirit as meaty or heavy - instead it has an indescribable edge to it and an ultra clean malt/grain character.
The distillery put out a 14yo that's an easy drinking dram, but I haven't seen it around for a while... so probably discontinued. Before that - and when the distillery was still owned by United Distillers (Diageo) they had a bottling in the Flora & Fauna range and a bottling in the Rare Malt series as well.
Personally I think this distillery deserves more attention than it gets, as it can really put out some good stuff - but it all seems to disappear into Dewar's blends.
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| Craigellachie Distillery, May 2nd 2011 © The Malt Desk |
Colour is white wine
Nose:
Bakery shop, fresh, sliced pineapple, spices, hint of licorice root - a bourbon cask straight as an arrow!
Taste:
Vanilla, paestry, creamy, peppery, the licorice shows itself here, also green apples, a flowery note and truckloads of medium heavy malt/barley sugar.
An easy drinking summer malt, a slow sipper on a hot day - Lovely!
87/100!
Should be a nice dram for Brazil! Will look out for a sample.!
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