Craigellachie is – or perhaps was – one of Speyside’s great little secrets. A wonderful distillery that sits unabashedly beside the main road running through the Craigellachie village, its whiskies have been well known and admired by whisky connoisseurs for many years. However, it seems it’s time for Craigellachie’s malt to be appreciated by a bigger and wider fan club.
Craigellachie is making a bit of noise right now with the global release of its 51yo – a whisky that will be far more accessible than you might at first think, but more about that in a moment. In the meantime, let’s set the scene…
The distillery itself is hardly a new kid on the block, having been established way back in 1891. After several changes and shufflings in ownership, it was eventually acquired by the DCL in 1927 (the forerunner of today’s Diageo) where it remained for the next 70 years. The obligatory expansion and refurbishment took place in the mid 1960’s but it remained a relatively unknown malt even at the time it was sold to John Dewar & Sons in 1998, which came to fall under the larger Bacardi umbrella.
In 2014, Dewar’s – with its White Label being the largest selling blend in the USA – decided it was time to shine a light on its single malt portfolio. All five of its distilleries – Aberfeldy, Craigellachie, Royal Brackla, Macduff, and Aultmore – launched new, branded single malts into various markets around the world. Craigellachie was thus introduced to many drinkers by way of five new curiously staggered age statement releases that instantly created a buzz. Shunning the more conventional wisdom of, say, a 12yo, 18yo, and 25yo, Craigellachie came to life with a 13yo, 17yo, 19yo, 23yo, and 31yo. More critically – and this was the nod to serious whisky drinkers – the releases were all non-chillfiltered and bottled at 46% ABV. The whiskies wasted no time in collecting awards at the various spirits and whisky competitions.
So what makes Craigellachie a talking point? The answer lies in its production: Like a number of the old DCL distilleries, it kept its old wormtub condensers. (Of the 100 or so “old” distilleries that have been around for a century or more, only 13 still employ wormtub condensers. Mortlach, Talisker, Dalwhinnie, and Knockdhu are good examples. Several of the recently established distilleries – Ballindalloch in 2014 for instance – have also been built with wormtubs to create an older style of whisky.)
Without wanting to go too deeply into the magic of whisky making, distillation involves distilling a beer (wash) and collecting the alcoholic vapours. In the 1960’s and 70’s, many distilleries switched over to more efficient “shell and tube” condensers which greatly increase the amount of contact the spirit has with copper as the vapour condenses back into liquid. Copper serves to strip sulphur and other compounds from the spirit. In contrast, the old, traditional wormtub condensers provide for less copper contact, meaning the resulting spirit retains more of the sulphur compounds. This gives the spirit a pronounced character that is often described as “meaty”, but can also take in flavour descriptors that include the yeasty, umami, and maillard families – think bonox, gravy, vegemite/marmite, and so forth. So, if you want to just crudely summarise what this means for Craigellachie: Its whiskies are BIG. (As a brief aside, do not confuse the above references to sulphur with the odorous sulphur taint that can infect sherry casks – that’s an altogether different beast, which you can read about here: The stink about sulphur).
Whisky & Wisdom paid a visit to the distillery a few years ago and went through the facility with the then-manager, Robert Fullarton. The malt comes from the Glenesk maltings, where the kilns are direct fired by oil – said to kickstart Craigellachie’s flavour, as this kilning process imparts a higher than usual sulphur content into the grain than would otherwise be the case. The distillery churns through 210 tonnes of malt per week, running 21 x 10 tonne mashes. Mashing takes an impressive five hours and is handled by an incredibly shiny and efficient full lauter tun that was sourced from Germany – a country that knows how to brew!
There are eight washbacks made of larch, each holding 47,000 litres. Fermentation is a relatively speedy 56 hours, producing a robust, biscuity wash. There are four stills – two pairs of wash and spirit stills in a stillhouse that fronts the road and features fully openable concertina windows to regulate the heat in the room. (Near identical stillhouses with the same operable glazing can be found at Craigellachie’s sister distilleries Royal Brackla, Aberfeldy, and Aultmore.) The first distillation takes around seven hours; the second distillation is on a 12 hour cycle, of which five hours is the middle cut. (The still is on foreshots for around 30 minutes, and they take five to six hours to drive off the feints). The middle cut comes on anywhere between 70-73% and cuts off at around 60-63%. Until the launch of the new whiskies in 2014, three quarters of the distillery’s production still went off to Diageo! Production is currently up at around 3.6M litres of pure alcohol per annum.
If you ever questioned Craigellachie’s commitment to its style and its wormtubs, bear in mind that a new shell-and-tube condenser costs around £30,000, whereas it costs the distillery £100,000 each time it has to replace one of the wormtubs! But the distillery’s style is completely different to that of the more typical Speyside style, say that of Glenfiddich or Glenlivet. There’s not much in the way of grassiness, florals, or pear drops here – rather, Craigellachie’s malt is meaty and cereal-like, with a roasty-toasty character that is more robust than delicate.
The Craigellachie show came to Sydney this month with the unveiling of the incredible 51yo release. In a move that can only be lauded and applauded, Craigellachie has decided to make the whisky available to as many whisky drinkers as possible, rather than simply sell bottles at an unaffordable, astronomical price that would see it just get snapped up by wealthy collectors and never opened or enjoyed. Craigellachie held a special dinner at Sydney’s acclaimed “Firedoor” restaurant in Surry Hills to share their malts and their plans with the assembled throng of drinks writers and journalists.
The evening gave guests the opportunity to taste the 51yo, followed by the 13yo, 17yo, 23yo, and – to round out the night – the absolutely incredible Travel Retail exclusive Exceptional Cask Series 23yo Double Cask, which spent 13 years in an ex-bourbon cask before being transferred to an ex-Rioja barrel for a further 10 years. If the 51yo gave your tastebuds subtlety, complexity, and something to contemplate, the 23yo ex-Rioja cask delivered zest, sweetness, juice, fruit, and dynamics. Whisky and Wisdom’s tasting notes on all the featured drams are presented at the end of this article if you’re interested in reading our personal thoughts on the whiskies.
Distilled on the 22nd of December back in 1962, it’s been coined the world’s most uncollectible collectible malt, as the 51yo cannot be purchased by the bottle. But you’re in with a chance to have a dram of it for free! The chance to taste Craigellachie 51yo comes by attending Bar 51. Held at staggered intervals around the globe (having already taken place in London & New York), Sydney’s Bar 51 will run for three nights from 23-25 October at The Duke of Clarence, with competition winners being treated to a private tasting of Craigellachie’s 13, 17 and 23 year old age statements before being guided to the Craigellachie 51yo exclusive tasting led by Georgie Bell, Craigellachie’s global brand ambassador. The whisky experience will conclude with a cocktail made with Craigellachie’s 13-year-old expression.
The competition to attend Bar 51 opened on Thursday 1 August and closes on Friday 11 October (Midnight AEST). To be in with a chance to be one of the lucky 80 winners to attend Bar 51 for a tasting of Craigellachie 51, enter the lottery at www.craigellachie.com.
Whisky & Wisdom’s Tasting notes…
Craigellachie 51yo (Refill bourbon hogshead, 40.3% ABV)
Nose: Still fresh and not over-oaked, it takes its time to unravel and reveal all on offer. (Over the course of the night, we let this sit for over an hour, returning to it every 10-15 minutes and discovering the nose had opened up and was offering an increasing kaleidoscope of aromas). There’s Jam Rolls, gentle oak, soft fruits, and some lime zest to balance the “older” notes of old parchment, leather, and tobacco leaf.
Palate: Variations on vanilla, there’s also cola jube lollies, lemon meringue pie, and a drying oakiness. The texture is still full, rather than seeming delicate or oily.
Finish: Slightly drying, the oak lingers – as it is entitled to do at this age.
Comments: It’s a complex dram, but it’s tightly locked at first and needs time in the glass to come to life. It’s about subtlety and character, rather than oak or volume. Highly enjoyable if given due time and reverence.
Craigellachie 13yo
Nose: Cereal malt, pastry crust, sweet doughnuts, and a faint floral note.
Palate: Big, juicy malt that has a fascinating interplay between savoury and sweet. The savoury wins out – that glorious meatiness is the last man standing.
Finish: Medium in length, it’s leaves a pleasant footprint that tempts you to return for more.
Comments: Long before this event, W&W has always rated the Craigellachie 13yo as one of the best bang-for-your-buck whiskies that’s regularly available. Full and bursting with flavour, it’s non-chillfiltered and at 46% ABV to deliver a decent mouthfeel.
Craigellachie 17yo
Nose: Not too dissimilar to the 13yo, it’s a little drier and softer – the alcohol seems more refined and the extra years in wood both flatten and widen the spectrum of aromas that remain firmly camped in the house style.
Palate: The spirit is robust and full-flavoured, leading to favourable comparisons with a fantastic Mezcal. It grew slightly sweeter with time in the glass, offering a dusting of icing sugar sprinkled over cinnamon loaf.
Finish: Long, but noticeably drier than its younger stablemate.
Comments: Those looking for a whisky that sits halfway between a Speysider and a robust Highlander with spice and depth should look no further.
Craigellachie 23yo
Nose: There’s a faint smokiness on the nose here, but this is again a nose that needs time to unravel. With time there is honeycomb, toffee, and sweet spices.
Palate: Great character on display – the spirit has depth and dryness from the oak. There’s, again, plenty of cereal, but this is countered with some genuine spice, tannins, and dried fruit. Perhaps a higher proportion of sherry casks at play within the vatting?
Finish: Delicious, and surprisingly light and vibrant – not weighed down or cumbersome.
Comments: It’s hard not to be seduced by the notably darker colour on offer here – again, leading one to think that there’s a higher proportion of sherry casks in the mix. A truly delicious whisky that is approaching old age but still punching with the vibrancy and spirit-led flavour of youth.
Craigellachie ‘Exceptional Cask Series’ 23yo Double Cask (56%, 216 bottles)
Nose: Candy floss (cotton candy for our American readers!), toasted grain bread, and boozy soaked fruits.
Palate: Sweet fruits, particularly red currants and red apple skins. Toffee popcorn and crème brulee.
Finish: Glorious! Sweet, spicy, strands of pash-mac linger on the palate. A real dessert dram.
Comments: Served at the end of a long night that was malt and food rich, you could be forgiven for having a fatigued palate by this point. In contrast, the 23yo Double Cask livened up the party – it was bright, loud, sweet, rich, bursting with flavour, and was – in the opinion of W&W and many of our neighbours – the dram of the night. Exclusive to Australia Global Travel Retail, snap this up quickly if you’re passing through an airport anytime soon.
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With genuine thanks and appreciation to Craigellachie for their generosity; to Firedoor for their warmth and hospitality; to Georgie Bell; and to Wanderlust Union.
