Craigellachie 13 Year Armagnac Cask Finish

One of the many drams enjoyed during our quarterly virtual tasting was this Craigellachie 13 finished in Bas-Armagnac casks that was kindly provided by a friend. The nose starts with a mix of musty grapes, mango, lime and smoking matchstick then hay bales, vanilla cream puff and chocolate covered chewy caramels followed by prunes, tangerine and ruby red grapefruit that transitions to white pepper, cloves and dusty leather-bound books with low ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with creamy fruits of musty grapes, mango, pineapple and a mild matchstick smoke then vanilla cream puff, honeysuckle, rosemary and chocolate covered chewy caramels followed by prunes, tangerine and caramelized nectarines that transitions to white pepper, cloves, leather-bound books and light polished oak with medium ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with musty grapes, creamy tropical fruits, light matchstick smoke, white pepper, cloves, and dusty leather-bound books. Similar to the regular 13, the nose is fairly restrained but with time the flavors began to emerge with light musty grapes leading underscored by tropical fruits and mild sulfur smoke along with creamy sweets, slightly sour fruits and light dusty leather-bound books that carried over to the palate with richer and bolder flavors than on the nose with a light Armagnac presence leading along with creamy sweet tropical fruits underscored by a light sulfuric smoke along with herbs, creamy sweets, caramelized citrus fruits and light dusty leather-bound books that finished medium length with musty grapes upfront before creamy fruits which fade into mild sulfur, spices and light dusty leather-bound books. Another delightful release from Craigellachie that the Armagnac influence is very restrained, which adds light musty grapes and leather-bound books to the regular 13-year-old profile. In a side-by-side with the regular versus the Armagnac finish, I’d say they are extremely close, but the Armagnac manages to edge out the regular for me with those musty and old book notes. At a price between $65-70, I think this is well worth the cost.

Nose: Freshly cut hay, lemon oil, apple skins, mild oak, a touch of vanilla. Allowing it some time to open in the glass enhances depth but doesn't alter the balance; the primary change is the appearance of cereal and dusty oak aromas. Adding water brings harmony and even more depth, revealing porridge and warm brioche notes. Palate: The initial taste is sweet and lively with zesty cinnamon and pepper spices over lemon custard. Semi-sweet tropical fruit emerges during development with honeyed herbs (rosemary, sage, tarragon) and some ale-like notes. The palate has a distinct herbal and slightly briny character. The texture is creamy, especially when diluted, and water also brings out sweet notes in the palate that are otherwise hidden. Finish: Medium. Sweet/briny citrus with beery notes. Diluting shortens but significantly softens the finish. This bottle evolved considerably after being opened, and my observations above are based on it when it was about 2/3 full for a month. Initially, both the aromas and flavors were sharp and intense with aggressive, astringent citrus and abundant herbal notes. However, with time and oxygen, it softened dramatically. The nose gained complexity with peach and apple appearing, and the palate relaxed to a surprising extent, with marshmallow lemon pie replacing the initial, almost bitter lemon flavors. It generally resembles the standard Craigellachie 13 (which also changes with oxidation, though less so). There's definitely something else at play here, but if I hadn't known that ex-armagnac casks were involved in the aging, I would never have guessed. It certainly doesn't exhibit the typical characteristics of brandy casks; in fact, I would have suspected palo cortado or fino sherry aging. This bottle (batch code L23186ZA800 1319) was a birthday gift from my wife and we were slightly disappointed upon first tasting it. However, over time it has opened up wonderfully into an interesting and enjoyable dram. Initially, I would have only rated it 78/100, but as it stands now, especially with a few drops of water, it deserves a higher score. "Good": 84/100 (3.75 stars)

We had our quarterly online tasting. This was one of the spectacular pours of the evening. The other four were 1) Bardstown Chateau Laubade batch 1 2) 2021 Diageo Special Release Lagavulin 12, 3) Barrell 20yr Seagrass, and 4) 15yr Jacob’s Well. This was sent courtesy of a friend. I would never have thought Craigellachie and Armagnac marry well. But it makes sense. There’s a certain rustic quality about Craigellachie, which is shared by Armagnac. In this case, the Armagnac is subtle, and lets the malt be front and center, but you know it’s there…makes its presence known, just not assertively. Nose is herbal, briny, lemons. Whiff of sulfurous smoke. Taste: oolong tea, lemons, some earthiness. Really well balanced. Tasted blind, I’d have guessed Springbank 10. In fact, if you can’t find Springbank, buy this instead. For $65-70, this is great value for money. In fact, I immediately bought one this afternoon. Thanks again to a friend for the generous pour!

To start, I'm definitely a fan of the normal Craigellachie 13 and I'm giving this the same score as I gave my beloved 13. Nose: If you are familiar with the normal Craigellachie 13, this is nearly indistinguishable on the nose. Just a touch less sharp and a very small hint of darker fruit. All the wonderful intense light fruit with an industrial backbone is definitely still there. Palate: I was doing a side-by-side comparison with the original 13, and this is very close. Mouthfeel is still very oily. A touch less bright and intense than the original 13 but with the added depth of leather and dark fruit, like plum. The industrial, almost diesel-like, backbone is still there and is still wonderful. Finish: This is where the Bas-Armagnac really shows up. The finish is still quite long but a fair amount darker and richer with some more spice than the original 13. Thoughts: The original 13 feels more appropriate for spring/summer and the Bas-Armagnac feels more appropriate for fall/winter. Both very, very nice.

I've become a devoted fan of Craigellachie recently. From independent bottlings to special cask selections and even the 13 year old, I've encountered a few subpar ones, but generally, they've been fantastic! Nose - Aged grapes, a hint of citrus in the oak, a touch of light funk. There's a whisper of oak smoke and a subtle toasted base. Taste - Alright, it's wonderfully sweet initially, with funky toasted heavy oak, more funk, and a white wine note. It's not impressing me much right now. But let me re-evaluate this. This is coming across differently than my last experience. Previously, the funky oak note, which the worm tubs can sometimes impart, gave an unpleasant finish. Now, the finish is peculiar, very peculiar, with white wine, certainly not like any armagnac I've had. The oaky/nutty character is still definitely present. I adore Craigellachie, and I detect many great characteristics here. I dislike the bas-armagnac influence. I'll rate it a 1.75; there are simply too many superior bottles available. However, it's distinctive and has its place.

I got a great deal on this... But it is worth every penny of its MSRP. Aroma: Developed more and more as I drank it. Almost a baked cinnamon apple candle scent emerged. Palate: This developed over the entire dram. A little hot initially, but more and more flavors appeared. Started with a few notes, then built into a little apple sweetness. A hint of mint showed up at times too. And there was also a pickle aftertaste, not a bad vinegar, but more of a briney, saltiness. Absolutely fantastic scotch. Very unique.