Craigellachie

Craigellachie was founded in 1891 in the village of the same name, where the Fiddich meets the Spey. It is owned by Bacardi through John Dewar & Sons, and for most of its history its whisky has gone into blends, especially Dewar's.

The spirit is unusually heavy for Speyside. Its stills are fitted with worm tub condensers, which give less copper contact than modern condensers and leave a robust, oily, slightly sulphury new make. With age this turns into a mouth-coating malt with notes of pineapple, wax and toasted cereal.

Since 2014 the official range has used ages chosen to stand out, such as the 13 Years, 17, 19 and 23 Year Old, and finished releases like the 12 Year Old Oloroso Cask Finish. Official single cask bottlings also appear from time to time.

Craigellachie is a favourite of independent bottlers. Hunter Laing, Douglas Laing (including its Old Malt Cask series), Signatory Vintage, Duncan Taylor, Gordon & MacPhail, That Boutique-y Whisky Company and Darkness have all released it, often as single casks at a range of ages.