There are few distilleries I have an innate fondness for like Craigellachie. One of the infamous "worm tub" distilleries, that allows for a heavy, dense, sulfurous spirit, Craigellachie is always a bouquet of apples mixed with raw meat. It's often a wild ride. So this sherried Scotch Malt Whisky Society ("SMWS") bottling (from the October 2022 outturn) was instantly interesting to me.
Here are the official notes from SMWS:
The initial aroma suggested coconut macaroon, milk chocolate and game pie. A banana baked with Nutella, liquorice chews, toasted fennel seed and fruit scones topped with thick cream. A wonderful balance of distillate and sherry cask. Reduction brought brown breads and rich notes of foamy shilling ales, meat gravy, dried sultanas, banana chips and treacle pudding. The mouth was typical of this great Speyside make; oily, fatty and robust. Many notes of herbal extracts, spiced fruit chutneys, orange wine, chocolate gingers and hints of natural tar. The natural weight of a worm tub distillate shines. With water we found it became richly bready and full of lovely notes of dried exotic fruits, game meats, eucalyptus, espresso and balsamic reduction. Previously matured in a bourbon hogshead for 12 years before transfer to a 2nd fill oloroso hogshead.
Well, it's singing my song: coconuts, "game pie," banana, fennel, brown bread... damn. Bottled at 62.1% ABV. Let's swim in this:
Nose: Dry sherry, vomit (!), tobacco, ginger, leather. The butyric acid note (vomit) is so unusual but it's a distinct tang.
Mouthfeel: Pretty viscous.
Palate: Ginger, baking spices, tobacco leaf, Crayola wax (!). Surprisingly spicy, dry palate here. Not much fruit to speak of - lots of herbs and such.
Finish: Ginger, chemicals, wood, nutmeg.
Verdict: Sort of normal for Craigellachie, sort of unusual (drier than most, no apples/pears). The sherry finish here is quite interesting - I would be curious to try the Oloroso that was in this cask! Quite a nice whisky, all in all - but not for everyone.
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