Scotland, Speyside: Single malt whisky through the producing distilleries: history, making, production and tasting notes
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Craigellachie

Distillery description Tasting notes

The distillery

For information about the distillery, please click on the photo.

Craigellachie: official bottlings

Craigellachie

14 years
Age
 14 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,0 %
Bottler
 Official
=25 euros=25 euros
links & average quote
 79/100
Craigellachie 14
A very expressive nose, where cereals and a hint of smoke get the focus. Some fruity touches give it a kind of nice freshness. The mouth is also marked by nice cereal hints. A light bitterness mixed with a some slightly acid touches too. No firework in the mouth, but quite a pleasant impression, despite its 40% of alcohol, which is sometimes synonym of flatness. But not here. The finish is long and warm, with some woody impressions.
79/100
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 Craigellachie independent bottlings
 

Craigellachie

Connoisseurs Choice 1988
Collection
 Connoisseurs Choice
Age
 13 years
Alcohol percentage
 40,0 %
Bottler
 Gordon & MacPhail
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links & average quote
 81/100
 
 
An excellent impression from the very first nosing. Some malt hints with marshmallow notes. The palate is rather sweet with a certain complexity. A background taste of chocolate. The finish is too short, but remains very pleasant. Global conclusion is that this whisky is excellent. It's a shame there are not more single malt versions available from this distillery.
84/100
The floral nose offers hints of malt and touches of pepper, the whole being rather discrete. In the palate, this whisky seems to be a bit "short", "faded", probably because of the alcohol rate, and still this floral presence, a touch of citrus fruit and some discrete spices. A too short finish, with some slightly woody notes.
79/100
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Craigellachie

Platinum collection 32 years
Collection
 Platinum Collection
Age
 32 years
Alcohol percentage
 42,7 %
Bottler
 Douglas Laing
Dates
 Distil: 1973 Bottling: 2005
Bottle
 181 btls
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links & average quote
 89/100
Craigellachie 32 ans Platinum
A very nice nose, with perfumed fragrances of hay or straw, spices and remote hints of smoke. The palate is first dry, complex. It developes quickly on very beautiful malty tastes, after some slightly acid hints, smoke and an interesting touch of bitterness. The finish is lingering and warm and clean, and all the nuances of the mouth are coming back. An excellent bottle.
88/100
The discrete nose  and slightly medicinal, rather complex and promising lots of pleasure in the mouth by the contrasting freshness which is coming up after a few seconds. Fruity hints (peach, pear) follow after a while. In the palate, first impression is a great smoothness and a nice complexity, as near the sweet character some bitterness is developing as well, even if the evolution of the taste remains on quite a small palette. It is very subtle. Between fruit and malt, very elegant, but not so much contrast. A touch of smoke. The finish is warm and long, prolonging perfectly the mouth.
84/100
This nose is remarkably balanced with nice floral notes and hints of ripe fruit. A touch of wood and a very light smoky note come and break some boring perfection. Very promising nose anyway, a perfect mix of balance and complexity.
The mouth is both smooth and clean. A light woody impression mixes with fruity hints (yellow fruits: peach of banana) and malty touches. This palate is very elegant even if it is not too complex.
The finish is first fruity and sweet before revealing nice notes of very refined wood and malty hints.
Even if it is not really spectacular, this whisky is really remarkable by its balance and noble character,
88/100
Colour: old gold.
A very pleasant nose with extraordinary complex notes, mixing alternately nicely smooth ripe fruit hints and slightly bitter nutty ones before coming back on some fruity freshness. This fragrance chain seems to be cyclic. An unusually balanced nose which promises lots of pleasure for the rest of the tasting.
The mouth perfectly prolongs the nose. Complexity and balance. Very nice crossover between the smoothness of ripe fruit and the pleasant bitterness of cashew nut. This mouth gives nothing but pleasure.
The finish is unbelievable pleasant too, perfectly prolonging the mouth feelings where the sweet bitterness of cashew nut seems to be dominant. The fruity hints are now on the background.
95/100
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Craigellachie

Cask Collection, 16 years
Collection
 Cask Collection
Age
 16 years
Alcohol percentage
 60,7 %
Bottler
 Dewar Rattray
Cask
 Bourbon
Cask number
single cask 6924
Dates
 Distil: 21-08-1991 Bottling: 12-9-2007
Bottle
 267 btls
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links & average quote
 88/100
Craigellachie 16 Dewar Rattray
The spicy nose is marked by both the cereal and floral notes pleasantly completed by hints of fruits and a touch of yeast.
The first mouth is characterised by a great freshness. Green apple and plum jam. This acid notes are continuously developing and mix harmoniously with slightly bitter nutty hints.
The finish is very complex and long too. All the notes which were present in the palate are present at the finish as well.
A few drops of water even enhance this nice whisky.
88/100
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Craigellachie

1984-2009
Collection
 Flowers
Age
 25 ans
Taux d'alcool
 53,7 %
Embouteilleur
 The Whisky Agency
Dates
 Distill: 1984 Embout: 2009
Bouteille
 256 btls
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liens et cote moyenne
 Forum 89/100
Craigellachie 25 Whisky Agency
Colour: Gold
Nice nose, both spicy and very fresh. Malt, pepper, obvious floral notes. Very nice complexity and remarkable balance. Fruity notes appear after a while, mix of peaches and walnut with a nice citrus touch.
A very nice first mouth, very smooth to begin with. Slightly bitter notes appear soon and a very interesting development between ripe fruit and cashew nut bitterness emphasise the pleasure and give some more complexity to this very interesting mouth.
The finish is of medium length. All the complexity of the mouth is present here too. After a very fresh nose, we have quite a chocolate finish with some cashew nut flavours.
An excellent bottle.
89/100
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Craigellachie samples

Craigellachie

The ultimate single malt collection 1998
Collection
 The Ultimate Single Malt selection
Age
 10 years
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 The Ultimate Whisky Company
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links & average quote
 79/100
A slightly tingling nose but revealing nice peppery notes and behind it some citrus smells. Fresh and full of character nose.
The mouth is a little bit less interesting than the nose was and the announced complexity is not met. Far from being unpleasant, however, but a bit straight away which was not the case of the nose. Citrus fruit is still present, but much less "colored" than announced by the nose. Quite a metallic impression completes the scene.
The finish is rather long an closer to the mouth tahn to the nose.
This bottle remains a good price-quality ratio.
79/100
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Craigellachie

Gordon & MacPhail 1994 Reserve

Collection
 Reserve
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 61,2 %
Bottler
 Gordon & MacPhail
Cask
 refill sherry
Cask number
single cask 7325
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links & average quote
 84/100
Quite a pleasant fresh nose, fruity and spicy, wit peppery notes giving some depth to the first fruity smoothness.
In the palate, the fruit remains present, but a kind of peppery bitterness gives it a new dimension. The high degree of alcohol is a bit hindering but a drop of water opens a whole range of new horizons. A nice balance between spices and fruit.
The finish is warm and relatively long. Alcohol remains present in the finish too.
84/100
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Craigellachie

Reserve 1994 for LMDW
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 46 %
Bottler
 Gordon & MacPhail
Cask number
single cask 7323
Dates
 Distil: 1994 Bottling: 2007
Bottle
 354 btls
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links & average quote
 BT2008 0/100
BT2008
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Craigellachie

Gifted stills 1999-2008
Collection
 Gifted Stills
Age
 11 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Jean Boyer
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links & average quote
 78/100

Colour: Pale yellow
Quite a long time aeration is necessary to remove odors from yeast and undergrowth that dominate the nose at first contact. Once this is done, discrete fruity notes appear. The impression of wet underbrush, however, continues to dominate.
The mouth looks nicer than the nose. A first attack on the unripe fruit and then a kind of duel between the fruit and bitter notes, not too balanced and a relatively limited range of tastes. That said, the mouth is nice and the contrast gives it a certain charm.
The finish is medium length and does not really add much to the original whisky without being extraordinary.
78/100
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Craigellachie: not in collection

Craigellachie

Fauna & Flora 14 yo
Age
 14 years
Alcohol percentage
 43 %
Bottler
 Officiel
links & average quote
 BT2005 0/100
see: BT2005
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Craigellachie

1994/2008
Age
 No age statement
Alcohol percentage
 57,4 %
Bottler
 Berry Bros and Rudd
Particularity
 Non chillfiltered cask strength
links & average quote
 Forum 87/100
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