My partner was keen on a tasting flight for her birthday, so I obliged with a lineup selected by a local whisky bar (a 9yo Clynelish, 1988 Benrinnes, 1996 Ben Nevis, 1997 Bowmore, and an 8yo Staoisha). I also got a few drams at the bar for myself, including this 1973 Craigellachie. I have a soft spot for Craigellachie as the 13yo OB got me into Scotch, and this is my first time trying very old Craigellachie. This was bottled from IB The Bottlers, at a solid 53.3% ABV, but the label does not seem to indicate what the cask previously contained.

Tasting Notes

Nose: Fig jam, mineral oil, apples, quince

Palate: Texture and smoothness for days, beeswax, acacia honey, soursop, rhubarb

Finish: Cotton wool, boba, cold coconut milk, chia seeds, olive oil, apricot seed.

The worm tub influence shines through, yet does not overwhelm, with the most pristine olive oil note on the finish, and a whiff of pleasantly heady, clean mineral oil on the nose. It is significantly less dirty than modern Craigellachies I have tried, with a restrained, complex fruitiness that really captures how good, old whisky can be a time capsule, unhurried by enthusiast clamour.

I reckon this is a 92, which seems inflated given how terse my tasting notes are compared to some previous reviews of whiskies I rated lower. However, I have come to realise I now am only bothered to write full notes for top-shelf drams generally - and even then, much more succinctly, to convey the gist of the whisky. More succinct notes than my past reviews does not necessarily mean the whisky is less complex, but I digress. Track this stuff down, you will not regret it. And as far as I can tell, despite the BS pricing of modern Craigellachie OBs, old Craigellachie has largely escaped massive speculation and appreciation, so I will definitely look out for a bottle.

H.Y.