This Craigellachie 1997 was bottled by Gordon & MacPhail in 2014, but it can still be found in stores. After all the distillery doesn’t have a sexy image and I guess most bottles are bought by insiders or as an impulse purchase?
Craigellachie 1997 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 2014, refill hogshead & bourbon barrels)
Craigellachie 1997 (46%, Gordon & MacPhail Connoisseurs Choice 2014, refill hogshead & bourbon barrels)Nose: very fruity and summery. Green apple (skin), green tea, hints of kiwi. Soft mineral touches. A little vanilla. Nice and light but it’s not entirely clean, there’s something of used matches and a kind of butter milk note that I find a little distracting. Peach yoghurt.
Mouth: creamy, malty and fruity again. Oranges, apples, sweet lemon, some tropical touches. Evolves on warmer notes, vanilla biscuits and toasted cake. Again with a slightly sulphury undertone. Some leafy notes in the end. Hints of nutmeg.
Finish: quite long, rather dry and spicy, with some zesty citrus notes in the background.
Quite a good Craigellachie, with a nice fruity core and decent complexity, but it has a prominent sulphuric side, which takes away some of the summery character in my opinion. Around € 85.
Score: 82/100