Single Malt Darkness Oloroso Sherry Cask Finish 11YO
⏳ Drinking Window
Ready to enjoy upon release; maintains its peak quality 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 stubborn refusal to abandon traditional copper worm tubs, which impart a heavy, sulfurous, and muscular character to the spirit. When this robust, meaty single malt is matured for 11 years and finished in custom-built Oloroso Sherry octave casks by the independent bottler 'Darkness', a dramatic fusion occurs. The octave casks, being much smaller than standard butts, facilitate intense wood-to-spirit contact. This results in a rich marriage of Craigellachie's signature oiliness, sulfur, and tropical fruit notes with the deep, dark, nutty, and spice-laden influence of Oloroso sherry.
🍾 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
🍷 ABV
47.8%