Single Malt The First Editions Single Cask 12YO (((Bottled 2019)))
⏳ Drinking Window
As a distilled spirit, this whisky is fully matured upon bottling and does not age further in the glass. It can be enjoyed immediately and will remain stable for decades if kept sealed and stored upright out of direct sunlight.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Blue cheese, dark chocolate, smoked charcuterie
✨ Technical Specifications
This exceptional single cask expression represents a captivating intersection between Craigellachie's famously defiant, muscular Speyside spirit and the curated selection of independent bottler Hunter Laing under 'The First Editions' label. Distilled at Craigellachie—where traditional copper worm tubs impart a heavy, sulfurous, and robust character—this spirit was aged for 12 years in a single cask before being bottled in 2019. Independent bottlings like this offer a rare, unadulterated glimpse into the distillery's character, stripped of the standard blending processes used for core releases. Craigellachie, founded in 1891 by the legendary Peter Mackie, has long been prized by blenders for adding weight and structure to blends; in this single cask format, its signature notes of waxy citrus, sulfurous flint, and dense orchard fruits are allowed to shine in their purest, most individualistic form.
🍾 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