Review #717 - Single Cask Nation Craigellachie 16 Year Single Cask
Single Cask Nation has a habit of finishing a lot of their single casks in sherry - that's the case with this Craigellachie single malt, which enjoys a hefty 5 year finish in a first fill Spanish oak Oloroso hogshead. Unsurprisingly, the natural color of the whisky is quite dark due to that finish; the nice age statement of 16 years overall is helping, as well.
Craigellachie is known to have a savory characteristic to their spirit owing to the use of worm tubs in the condensation process after distillation; in combination with the favored sherry casks for maturation, that often leads to very meaty, oily whiskies. Let's see if that's also the case in independent bottling form.
Single Cask Nation Craigellachie 16 Year Single Cask
Scotland/Speyside - Single Malt
Price: USD 170 (2025)
Age Statement: 16 Years
Strength: 53.8% ABV
Cask Makeup: Finished in a first fill Spanish oak Oloroso sherry hogshead
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; cask 173219, distilled August 2007, bottled August 2024; 252 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 60% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Rich and savory, with a bit of sulphur, but nice oily spirit notes. The 16 years in oak is adding soft perfumed wood notes, and we get fruits of orange and strawberry. There's a nice malty backbone to this, a lot of character - hints of funk, then some sweeter vanilla.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick. It's woody and a little bit tannic to start, somewhat drying, but strong red fruits of strawberry and cherry add sweetness. Cinnamon and sugar, fruit tart pastries... nice depth, and then it changes to become more savory, with an oily sausage note. At the end, we get a hint of petrichor.
Finish: Oak is still strong, with cinnamon and wood spice, and that nice perfume note from the nose returns. Strawberry is the dominant fruit at this point; it's a medium-long finish.
Final Note: This is a classic, bold Craigellachie - a nice combination of savory flavors, fruity notes from the sherry, and oak influence. The texture is great for the strength, and we get those oily notes (both flavor and mouthfeel) that this distillery's spirit often seems to bring. That 5 year sherry finish definitely shows here with the strong red fruit notes in the nose and palate; the Spanish oak also adds a nice spice, especially with the cinnamon flavors in the palate and finish.
Value is okay on this bottle; it's a bit expensive for the age statement, really, but it is a very good whisky. If you're a fan of Craigellachie or savory, meaty, sherry-forward whiskies in general, this might be a nice bottle to snag.
Our Rating: 7.6 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 5.42
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
