Craigellachie 2009 12 Year Old Whisky 49.9%

Dalgety Craigellachie 2009 12 Year Old 49.9%

Official Tasting Notes

The tasting revealed Demerara sugar, mixed peel, cloves and red cherry. 

Dalgety is a new brand created by Hannah Whisky Merchants in 2022. The business was founded by Gregor Hannah in 2012 and they are best know for creating Lady Of The Glen bottling’s. The company's ethos is to source and hand bottle limited run casks from distilleries excess quality stock. Single malt from closed distilleries are also bottled. Hannah Whisky Merchant’s is located north of the Firth of Forth in Inverkeithing, Fife. The goal for the new brand is to showcase quality small batch whiskies and takes its name from the local Dalgety Bay. Interestingly the labels glow in the dark referencing the beach nearby that can appear to glow at night. There were four initial releases which were a Tormore 11 year old, Tamnavulin 13 year old, Craigellachie 12 year old and an Islay 12 year old all bottled in the summer of 2022. A marriage of three separate casks was used for the Islay and two casks for the Tormore, Tamnavulin and Craigellachie.

Craigellachie in the centre of the famous Speyside whisky producing region of Scotland and was constructed by Craigellachie-Glenlivet Distillery Company in 1890. Charles Doig a well regarded Scottish architect designed the buildings. Alexander Edward and Peter Mackie were both part owners of the new distillery and when Mr Edward retired in 1914 Mr Mackie took sole responsibility. It was then the majority of the spirit made would go into the White Horse blend that has family had created earlier in the century.
The style of single malt produced is know to be malty, heavy and rich. The huge stills at the distillery have straight lyne arms giving only small amounts of reflux making the spirit heavier. A longer fermentation gives a fruitiness to the final spirit produced. The heavy, fruity malt is great for 
blending. The current owners John Dewar & Sons use a large portion of the spirit for just that. They also renewed Craigellachie as a single malt brand in 2014. In the core range there’s the 13,17 and 33 year old plus theres the independent bottling’s to look out for.