A Really Good One - Craigellachie 31

Craigellachie 31 (52.2% abv)

Colour - Gold. This colour promises much richness.

Nose - Rubber, sulphur, leather. Maybe this is because the bottle was newly opened, but the rubber and sulphur is strong in this one. Perhaps it'll tone down with time. There's a bit of a sour touch to this too - lemons? A citrusy and green fruit lurks too - perhaps...olives? Are olives technically fruits? This smells a little sour.

Nose (with water) - Ooooh. More of the lemon comes out, but it's sweeter too. A touch of smoke, a bit of honey on the nose, but the sulphur, leather and rubber refuse to lie down. This is complex.

Palate - Big sulphury, rubbery and leathery notes. There's a bit of olive oil in there that spikes in acidity and sourness to feel more like lemon, or even vinegar. There's a sherry sweetness too, as if the whisky wanted to remind me that it's a Speyside after all. Not quite rich in dried fruits though. Maybe with a bit more time in the bottle, the dried fruits will develop. There's a persistent malty character as well, which is amazing considering the strength of the sulphurous notes.

Palate (with water) - This is rather good. The lemon builds up slowly, suggesting other citrus fruits in its wake - grapefruit, I think. Sweeter on entry - honey/caramel, the rubber stays, and more sherry fruits come out - cranberries, perhaps? But not rich and bursting. More dry and understated. This is a bit drying with water, oddly. Texture is oily/waxy, and continues to remind me of olive oil. This whisky deserves your time to slowly get to know.

Finish - Loooooooong. Smoke and spices linger. The smoke adds a really nice finishing touch. JE says that pears remain on the insides of his mouth long after he's swallowed the whisky. Maybe Chinese pears. Malty on the finish again.

Finish (with water) - The same, but drags it longer.

Nose (on empty glass) - the sulphur lingers, but the wood and vanilla are finally discernible. Rich raisins, and perhaps a faint suggestion of milk chocolate. This gives me hope that the Craigellachie 31 will open up with a bit more time.

Overall - This is totally an "old style" whisky. It's got none of the well-engineered feel of many whiskies on the market nowadays. Both raw and mature, rough and polished. The fire has not gone out from this - it feels like Paul Gascoigne, compared to the Messi and Ronaldos of the newer whiskies. If that comparison makes sense. Not much wood engineering, though the influence of the cask is plainly evident. Just good spirit, good cask, and the wisdom of the old ways of making whisky. This is good. Made me want to get my hands on an aged Springbank. Maybe the 21 or 25. Hmm. How can I get to try them...

In a way, whiskies of this style have gone out of favour in a market that tries to hit the masses. There's the peaty camp, led by the yearly Ardbeg "new" release (frankly, they all sound like permutations of the same few variables), the sherry camp (yet another Macallan anyone? Maybe we'll name the next one Auburn? Oh, they've gone with "Edition No. 1"??), and the Japanese ones ($300 for a 10 year old Yoichi sounds about right?). This Craigellachie (and the Springbanks I've tried) turn back the clock to an older style of whisky flavours (and production). The results are glorious.

For now, this is THE best whisky I've ever tasted, and that's matched by the longest review I've ever written. Pity it's not anywhere near affordable (DW got it at about 400 sterling at Heathrow Airport). Thanks for sharing bro!

We actually drank a few other whiskies that were decent tonight, but they were wimpy compared to this monster. I'll write up some quick notes on the Compass Box Great King Street Glasgow Blend and Douglas Laing's Timorous Beastie in a couple of days.