Single Malt 1st Fill Sherry Hogshead 'Full Cask' No 180000040
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy upon release, as single malt Scotch whisky does not mature further in the bottle. It will remain in peak condition indefinitely when stored upright in a cool, dark place.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Dark chocolate, blue cheese, roasted venison
✨ Technical Specifications
Craigellachie is famously known as the 'bad boy of Speyside' due to its defiant, muscular, and sulfurous character—a direct result of the distillery's stubborn refusal to abandon its traditional copper worm tubs. When this heavy, oil-rich spirit is matured in a first-fill sherry hogshead, a fascinating alchemy occurs. The intense, active European oak of the first-fill sherry cask imparts deep, luxurious layers of dried figs, dark chocolate, and warming baking spices, which beautifully wrap around the robust, meaty core of the Craigellachie spirit. This 'Full Cask' expression showcases the dramatic interplay between Speyside's most uncompromising distillate and the rich, sweet influence of premium sherry wood.
🍾 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
100% Malted Barley