Craigellachie 2004 9 Year (Hepburn's Choice)

Rating: 13/23 Nose: Wow, I thought the Craigellachie 13 had a weak nose, but this is even less impressive, like socks made from jicama. So much jicama. Slowly, faint candied orange and a little melon emerge. Very slowly and faintly. There's a touch of earth and jalapeño, and a bit of sweet creek water. Not much is happening, and I don't like it. This is actually an unpleasant aroma. Palate: Fortunately, this tastes much better than it smells. It's sweeter with a pleasant malty richness, complemented by spices like cinnamon, black pepper, clove, and jalapeño. A full, sweet vanilla base. Occasional notes of melon and orange. A slightly funky, farm-like character reminiscent of Springbank with some sulfur. This farmyard note is muddled, though. I detect dry grass and vegetal notes that aren't quite decaying. Finish: Something funky is happening here. Sadly, this is much more like the nose than the palate. I get the dusty socks with jicama and jalapeño. - Conclusion - This attempts to be a Springbank but falls short. It's similar to Loch Lomond 12 (16/23), but the Loch Lomond is significantly better. It's somewhat in the same category as Highland Park 12 (12/23); between the two, this has less sulfur but is lighter and younger. I might prefer this one. It's quite comparable to Dewar's 15 The Monarch (13/23), though they are very different in style. Regular Craigellachie 13 is considerably better in almost every aspect. I'm settling on a 13 here, potentially a 12 or 14, but the middle seems appropriate.

Nose: Lemon and melon, some light herbs, a somewhat astringent note, with soft vanilla in the background. Palate: Soft texture, vanilla and citrus peel, some sourness and bitter tannins, a slight sharp metallic note. Finish: A long lingering burn, predominantly sour and bitter at the end.