Single Malt 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 'Full Cask' No 41
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy upon release, as single malt whisky does not mature further in the bottle and will remain stable for decades if stored correctly.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Smoked salmon, sticky glazed pork ribs, mature Cheddar cheese
✨ Technical Specifications
Craigellachie is affectionately known as the 'Bad Boy of Speyside' due to its stubborn adherence to traditional, old-school whisky-making methods. Founded in 1891 by Peter Mackie and Alexander Edward, the distillery famously continues to use traditional copper worm tubs to condense its spirit. This process limits copper contact, leaving a heavy, sulfurous, and muscular character in the raw distillate. When this robust spirit is matured in a first-fill bourbon barrel, like Cask No 41, the active American oak tempers the meaty distillate with rich notes of vanilla, toasted coconut, and bright tropical fruits like pineapple. This creates a fascinating tension between sweet, creamy oak influence and a savory, waxy, and unapologetically bold spirit.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1891 by whisky pioneers Peter Mackie and Alexander Edward, Craigellachie Distillery commands a prominent position on a rocky outcrop overlooking the confluence of the Rivers Spey and Fiddich. Designed by renowned Victorian architect Charles Doig, the distillery purposely eschews contemporary distillation trends, championing an archaic, full-bodied spirit style. Drawing soft processing water from the nearby Blue Hill, the distillery employs oil-fired maltings, traditional wooden washbacks, and distinctive exterior copper worm tub condensers. By restricting copper-to-vapor contact during condensation, Craigellachie captures robust, heavy, and sulphurous aromatic compounds that evolve into a uniquely muscular single malt marked by savoury, meaty notes accented by luscious tropical pineapple. Under parent owner Bacardi (John Dewar & Sons) and multi-award-winning Malt Master Stephanie Macleod, the distillery balances its legacy role in premium blends with benchmark age-stated single malts—notably its core 13-Year-Old, 17-Year-Old, and rare vintage cask bottlings—all presented non-chill-filtered at natural strength.
🍇 Base Material
Malted Barley