Close Menu
News

Craigellachie debuts 13YO Armagnac Cask Finish

Bacardi-owned Scotch brand Craigellachie has kicked-off a new collection with a 13-year-old whisky finished in an Armagnac cask.

Craigellachie 13 Years Old Armagnac Cask Finish
The 13-year-old Craigellachie whisky is the first bottling in a new cask-finished range

Craigellachie 13 Years Old Armagnac Cask Finish is the first expression in the brand’s new Cask Collection, which was inspired by the distillery’s use of worm tub condensers (also known as coil condensers).

To make the range, Craigellachie sourced casks from producers of oak-aged spirits who also use the same condensers to create their liquid.

The Speyside producer said there were only a handful of distilleries that still use this old fashioned method to condense their spirits, with most now favouring the modern approach of ‘shell and tube’.

Craigellachie malt master Stephanie Macleod said: “Craigellachie is a distinctly bold and brooding malt; full-bodied and meaty so we are using these cask types to complement and elevate the signature character of the distillery, not mask it, to add an extra dimension of flavour and intrigue.”

The brand matured its 13-year-old single malt in a combination of refill and recharred Bourbon barrels, followed by an additional year of secondary maturation in Bas-Armagnac casks from Gascony in France.

The resulting liquid offers ‘warming notes of baked apples, dusted with heady cinnamon’ and flavours of caramel shortcake, pineapple and ‘fiery bonfire night’ aromas.

Bottled at 46% ABV, the new expression is priced at RRP £52.99/€49.99/US$65.

The whisky will initially be available in the UK, Germany and France from April, before being rolled out in the US and Taiwan later this year.

The core Craigellachie portfolio includes 13-year-old, 17-year-old and 23-year-old whiskies.

In October 2018, Craigellachie launched its oldest whisky to date – 51 bottles of a 51-year-old single malt. The expression was given away for free to whisky fans globally and bottles were not available to buy.

It looks like you're in Asia, would you like to be redirected to the Drinks Business Asia edition?

Yes, take me to the Asia edition No