Single Malt 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel 'Full Cask' No 42
⏳ Drinking Window
As a bottled single malt Scotch whisky, this spirit is fully matured and does not age further in the glass; it can be enjoyed immediately upon release or preserved indefinitely when stored upright away from direct sunlight.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Crisp roasted pork belly, mature Stilton blue cheese, dark chocolate with sea salt
✨ Technical Specifications
Craigellachie is often whispered of as the 'Bad Boy of Speyside,' standing in stark, muscular defiance against the region's typically light and grassy style. Founded in 1891, the distillery stubbornly clings to its traditional copper worm tubs—cold water tanks containing coiled pipes—to condense its spirit. This method limits copper contact, preserving heavy, sulfurous, and meaty compounds that give the spirit its signature weight. When this robust distillate is cradled in a first-fill bourbon barrel, like Cask No 42, a spectacular alchemy occurs. The active American oak infuses the heavy, tropical-fruit-laden spirit with intense bursts of sweet vanilla, toasted coconut, and warm baking spices, beautifully rounding out the distillery's famously defiant, savory character. This single cask bottling represents a pure, unadulterated snapshot of Craigellachie's old-school craftsmanship.
🍾 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