Single Malt Oloroso Hogshead 'Full Cask' No 138
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this does not mature further in the bottle; it is ready to enjoy immediately upon release and will remain stable for decades if stored upright and away from direct sunlight.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, dark chocolate, sticky toffee pudding
✨ Technical Specifications
Craigellachie is legendary among Scotch enthusiasts for its stubborn defiance of modern, lighter Speyside trends. Founded in 1891, the distillery continues to use traditional copper worm tubs to condense its spirit. This old-school cooling method limits copper contact, leaving a heavy, sulfurous, and wonderfully meaty distillate. When this muscular, oily spirit is matured in an Oloroso sherry hogshead, a fascinating alchemy occurs. The deep, oxidative notes of dried figs, dark chocolate, and toasted walnuts from the sherry wood wrap around Craigellachie's robust, savory core, creating a dramatic and highly complex single malt that recalls the rich, heavy whiskies of the Victorian era.
🍾 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