Craigellachie Distillery, nestled in the enchanting Speyside region of Scotland, is known for producing a bold and distinctive single malt Scotch whisky. By cooling the spirit in a worm tub, rather than condenser, the copper contact is reduced, thus it gives the spirit a more robust “meaty” flavour component due to the retention of these heavier compounds.

Spirit within the still will increasingly become purer as heavy compounds continue to break down due to the extended interaction with the copper.You’re there as a whisky enthusiast with a budget to spend and an idea of what you like in whisky, but both of those things are fluid entities. The nose follows suit, with sweet floral and fruity notes, a touch of pineapple and mango, while the palate opens up into symphony of sweet, creamy notes balanced by smoke and leather with a dash of crisp acidity. Craigellachie features some very specific production techniques: barley from an oil fired kiln giving more weight, short stills and worm tub condensers to minimise copper contact. Worms are also made from copper, but the influence is less significant than the effect of rapid cooling that captures the remaining heavy compounds and adds texture. is stonkingly good and a recent sample of a Tomatin hand-fill 17yo, matured entirely in an ex-sherry cask was like smelling a biryani curry and drinking cherry tiffin wrapped around a raw honey core.

Speyside malt meets rare brandy finesse in this single malt whisky, offering notes of baked apples dusted with cinnamon and caramel shortcake offset by signature syrupy pineapples and fiery bonfire night aromas. The press release suggested that Armagnac is also distilled with the use of worm tubs and it would appear that this has been the theme for the extended series of releases. As I did so my whisky was clouding up – I’ve never seen that happen before without water interference, and is evidence enough of all those unfiltered microbes floating about in there.Overall: A fairly one-dimensional malt that is somewhat marred by my least-favorite flavor note (banana). They needed a Single Malt as an ingredient for White Horse Blended Scotch, so the distillery was designed to produce a very specific distillery style which the team replicate to this day.

Other distilleries with worm tubs include Talisker, the new Rosebank, Royal Lochnagar, Dalwhinnie, Edradour, Oban, Glenkinchie, Springbank and Pultney. On this spring day in 2021, I was already suitably oiled from the afternoon in the Bow Bar, so I had a bit more courage than if I had walked in fresh from the electric bus.Craigellachie has a full yet aromatic character that has made this Single Malt a prized Malt for blending since the late 19th century. Cognac also uses a serpentin(e) arrangement and wine heater, so it would make a safe bet as one of the next finishes in this series from Craigellachie. Arriving at the small doorway into Malts and Spirits, two people were concluding their sale at the small till zone, so I lingered outside until I felt awkward and then made my way in. I find it quite singular in that the nose could just as well be one of Glenlivet or Glenfiddich, but the palet and finish are completely different – grassy, mineral, spicy and thought-provoking.