As mentioned earlier, the Bacardi group has big plans for its five single malt distilleries, with new core expressions for each of them, as well as single cask releases and other high-end expressions next year.
We’ve already had the repackaged Aberfeldy 12 Years, now we’ll look at the brand-new Craigellachie range, which consists of a 13 Year Old, a 17 Year Old and a 23 Year Old. There’s also a 19 Year Old for travel retail. A 31 Year Old will be launched next year. So far we’ve only tried Craigellachie from independent bottlers.
First up is this Craigellachie 17 Year Old, supposedly the most interesting expression from a price / quality perspective. It was matured in American oak casks.
Craigellachie 17 yo (46%, OB 2014, Batch 98-ZC21)
Craigellachie 17 yo (46%, OB 2014, Batch 98-ZC21)Nose: bright and fruity, lots of pears, gooseberries and grape juice. Lots of vanilla, a bit of plain oak. Soft floral notes, some cinnamon. A light waxiness. Very fresh and summery.
Mouth: again really refreshing. Lots of citrus, slightly tart but balanced by some honey and vanilla cream. Pineapple. You can tell this is newish American wood, but well done. Spices too of course, light pepper, ginger and cinnamon. The citrus notes become more zesty towards the end.
Finish: medium long, spicy, with an almondy aftertaste and lemon.
This is a slightly modern but very good Craigellachie. Absolutely nothing to complain, it’s just that almost every distillery has well-made whisky these days. Arriving in stores – around € 90.
Score: 85/100