Review #126 - Craigellachie 23 Year
‘Old' Whisky Series: Part 1 of 4
Here's a quick series on 'older' whiskies, which we're defining as 20+ years in the cask, at least for the purposes of these reviews. We really haven't tried too many older whiskies like this - we got into the hobby a little too late to get our hands on them without paying gigantic prices. Still, we have had a chance to try a few, and we're lucky enough to have a couple of the bottles ourselves.
The first we're looking at is Craigellachie 23, a Speyside single malt, made in a self-proclaimed 'old-school' and 'sulfury' style. They use worm tubs in the condensation of their spirits, so we're hoping for a weighty, slightly meaty whisky experience; the distillery is also known specifically for their sherry cask maturation.
This 23 Year bottling has the preferable strength of 46% ABV, and has the benefit of being un-colored and not chill filtered. The combination of higher age and good stats does come at a price, though - this is $330 in our market.
An interesting note - in the marketing gibberish on the back of the bottle, the brand claims that their old school methodology 'creates a gutsy dram that rivals whiskies twice its age.' Yes, that is a direct quote. So, will this sip more like a 46 year old whisky? In that case, $330 might not be so bad. Ha.
Craigellachie 23 Year
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 330 (2023)
Age Statement: 23 Years
Strength: 46% ABV
Cask Makeup: First fill ex-bourbon and first fill ex-sherry casks
Details: No color added, not chill filtered, Batch 67KA23
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 14 months; bottles at 100%, 90%, 80%, and 60% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Perfume and old, rich, polished oak come to the front right away. You can smell the age on it, and it brings leather and the dried leaves of autumn, a dry wood campfire, which is mildly smoky. Cigars and nutty oak, balanced, and then the baking notes come in: vanilla, orange fruit, cranberry-orange bread, nutmeg. With more air time, we're finding damp tree bark, spearmint, and some tropical fruits: pineapple, creamy guava, and some plums. Really nice nose.
Palate: Medium mouthfeel, almost medium-thin; this is more tart and sulfury than the nose, with oak oils, grapefruit, orange, and plenty of baking spices. The age does still show through: polished leather, old wood, a light tannin influence, and some sweet perfume are all here. Light honey syrup, cinnamon, and nuts linger in the background; it's quite complex, and takes time to dig into. There are fruits later, more spiced orange, and then brown sugar.
Finish: Medium length, with oily oak, lots of nuts like toasted almonds, resin, and some slightly savory flavors. Mild bitter sulfur and maltiness come and go, tart apple and dried grass add a lighter dimension, and shoe polish and tobacco smoke add complexity. There is sweetness from vanilla once more, along with golden raisins and a soft red wine richness.
Final Note: This one definitely benefits from more air time; leaving it in the glass for 30+ minutes allows it to open up and reveal more of its complexity. The nose especially is lovely, and while the palate is nice as well, it can't live up to the smells we were tempted with. The mouthfeel is on the thin side of medium, and the flavors in the palate are much more subtle - you need to go searching in it for a while for the details. Still, a very good whisky overall - we would happily recommend this on flavor alone. The issue is the price... over $300? I'm not sure about that, but as you get into older whiskies, value does seem to disappear across the board, and this isn't the worst offender.
Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.66
Check out our other Craigellachie reviews:
