Craigellachie 17 Year

Continuing my review of Craigellachie selections, I'm sampling their 17 year old expression. The aroma presents a blend of mango, scorched pineapple, and newly lit pipe tobacco, followed by hay bales, vanilla cream brûlée, candied pecans, and chocolate-covered chewy caramels. This then shifts to sautéed apples, mandarin orange, and watermelon hard candy, leading into white pepper, cloves, leather, and polished antique furniture, with minimal alcohol sting. The taste offers a medium to full mouthfeel, beginning with creamy fruits like mango, scorched pineapple, and newly lit pipe tobacco, then toasted marshmallow, honeysuckle, rosemary, and chocolate-covered chewy caramels. This progresses to sautéed apples, mandarin oranges, and caramelized peaches, transitioning to white pepper, cloves, leather, and polished antique furniture, with a moderate alcohol burn. The finish is of medium duration, featuring creamy tropical fruits, hay bales, newly lit pipe tobacco, rosemary, leather, and polished antique furniture. Remarkably, those additional four years of maturation have effectively smoothed out the tart citrus notes found in the 13 year old, resulting in creamy tropical and caramelized orchard fruits alongside polished antique furniture. The flavors are more pronounced and richer compared to the 13 year old. In my opinion, this is significantly superior to the 13 year old, which carries a higher price tag of approximately $150+. However, I believe the enhanced refinement and bolder flavors fully justify its cost.

It's often said that a sample doesn't fully represent a spirit, and that a full bottle is needed for true appreciation. However, I sometimes find the opposite occurs: I love a sample, buy the bottle, and it doesn't live up to the initial experience. Many factors could contribute, but perhaps it's like a novel first-time experience; subsequent encounters lack the surprise and the memorable peak due to heightened expectations. This idea was supported when I shared it with friends, and one rated it as I initially did, even though I had since become indifferent. The 17-year-old expression reminds me of my first impression of the 13-year-old. While I initially rated the 13 a 4.25, I now consider it closer to 3.75 on a good day. This one easily achieves a 4.25 with its warm, honey-like sulfuric taste. Having tasted both, the 13 now seems rather flat, a subdued version lacking the vibrant viscosity and retaining a sulfuric note that now appears exposed and unbalanced. I would gladly trade my bottle of the 13 for a 17, but it's unavailable in New Zealand, which might be for the best as my personal experience could easily be repeated.

Aroma: hazelnuts, shortcrust pastry, chocolate cake, raisins, wood, musk. Taste: raisins, hazelnuts, toffee, caramel, milk chocolate, with a very noticeable wood presence as a constant background to the other flavors. Finish: caramel. Initially, it seems very brief and not particularly substantial, but then the magic happens: you feel like you have a milk chocolate bar in your mouth that slowly melts. A truly delightful conclusion. A fantastic whisky at an excellent price! 4.50 rating ____________________________________________________________ Nose: hazelnuts, shortcrust pastry, chocolate cake, raisins, wood, musk. Palate: raisins, hazelnuts, toffee, caramel, milk chocolate, very present wood as a constant background to the other flavors. Finish: caramel, at first it seems very short and not particularly consistent, but then there is the miracle: you feel like you have a milk chocolate bar in your mouth that melts slowly. A truly delightful ending. A great whisky with a great price! Rating 4.50

I had a serving of this last night during a tasting event hosted by Craigellechie. This was part of a lottery for a tasting of the 51-year-old expression, which 150 individuals globally had the opportunity to experience. Fortunately, a friend was among them, and I am grateful to have been his guest for the occasion. At the time, I genuinely enjoyed this one. It presented as a more refined and smoother version of the 13-year-old, akin to Pierce Brosnan's portrayal of Bond compared to Daniel Craig's rugged one. However, looking back, I favor the 13-year-old for its rougher edge. In my experience, smooth, balanced single malts are commonplace, but finding ones that are both rough and exceptionally well-balanced is much more challenging. That said...this was exceptionally good. The meaty notes were less prominent compared to the 13-year-old, and the sulfurous aspects were somewhat softened. I'm glad I tasted this, but I would opt to purchase the 13-year-old for its rugged character.

Aroma - Blueberries, watermelon, apples, spices, vanilla, light florals, almonds…. Palate- Coconut, Pineapples, white pepper, crème brûlee, butterscotch, crumble, ginger, slight minerality but meaty notes. Sulfur? Best mouthfeel. Finish – Very long, vanilla/white pepper returns, white chocolate, waxiness. With Water – Aroma: Brings ginger forward, tea, hay, cereal, barley, oak. Palate: Spice tones down, more toffee, caramel, cinnamon, milk chocolate. Finish: Never dry, black pepper, still long, but prefer it neat..maybe.. Score: 4.5 out of 5. Excellent! Price range: $125-150

The distiller rated this expression one point higher than the 23. Several commenters on MofM agreed. However, I must disagree. While this 17-year-old is good, unique, and distinct from other malts in its class, making it a fine choice for a casual sipper, I cannot possibly compare it to the robust 23, which is fruitier, juicier, more complex, and, frankly, much superior in my opinion. Still, I'm giving this a solid 4.