Craigellachie 13 Year (SMWS 44.138 "The Pink Lady Makes Pastry")

 

I have a particular fondness for certain malts - Glenfarclas is one, Ardmore is another, and Craigellachie is still another. Craigellachie has a certain distillation process that results in a noticeably "funky" flavor on the back end of a spirit that normally is all apples, all the time... and that funky flavor, you either love or hate. I love it.

So when I saw that the Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS) was releasing an independent bottle of Craigellachie, aged 13 years in a refill ex-bourbon hogshead and bottled at 61.9% (!!), I jumped on it. The Society named this bottle "The Pink Lady Makes Pastry," which I guess refers both to the Pink Lady of Grease (funky flavor reference?) and also Pink Lady apples? And pastry meaning apple pie? Let's find out...

Nose: A little apple, a little peach, a little apricot or pear, hints of cider, and small drips of clarified butter. Very strong alcohol - you can sense it wafting up the nose. The dominant scent, though, is malted barley. This is, I think, what SMWS calls "breakfast muesli" ... it's a nice, pure barley scent. With water, the fruit is amped up and the malt takes a back seat. And at 61.9%, you are going to want to add water to this. There might be a hint of smoke here, too. 

Mouthfeel: VERY viscous. 

Palate: Apples, apple pie, sugared pie crust, and apple butter. It's orchard-rich. There is also a strong wave of alcohol that sweeps through after the initial sweetness. With water, the apple and alcohol recede a bit, and a funky sulfur note gets larger, along with some dry earthy notes of straw and moss. 

Finish: ...and there is the funky flavor I mentioned, on the back end. A Craigellachie can't hide its spots! It actually serves as a counterpoint to the apple sweetness of earlier. The funky flavor is carried on rather short alcohol wings for a medium-short finish. Some wood tannins, something farmy and floral at the same time (heather? dandelions??).  And ... what's this?? Smoke! There is smoke left on my tongue. Very nice, carried forward all the way from the nose.

Verdict: This is a fascinating (and tasty) whisky. It has hidden earthy angles hiding inside a strong envelope of alcohol - once you unwrap them with a little water, you get a real farmyard/orchard dram, full of barley, apple, straw, moss, sulfur, butter, apricots, etc. This stuff also takes water very well - thank god, given the very high proof. If you like Craigellachie, or are just looking for a good SMWS whisky to taste, this will fit the bill. Recommended.