Craigduff is a bit of a weird one. There is no such distillery and calling it a proper ‘brand’ is a stretch of the imagination too.
It’s a peated Speyside whisky from Chivas Brothers, but I find sources stating it was made at Strathisla, as well as Glen Keith. Somehow I was only aware of the second option, but The Whisky Exchange seems pretty sure of themselves in this case.
The interesting bit, or the case for a bottle of this costing more than € 500, is that there have only been five single cask bottlings by Signatory. That’s all there is from this ‘make’.
Luckily, in a recent sample trade I was able to get my hands on one to see whether or not there’s something to this, or that Chivas made the right call to stop producing it!
Sniff:
Some light smoke, with some sourness to it. Or acidity, as that is called in a more culinary world. Slightly ashy with hints of smoked eel. Charcoal, and burnt herbs. Strange scents, but still quite simple.
Sip:
Initially the palate is a tad thin, but it starts to tingle and get more intense with a few seconds of swimming. Some pepper, smoke and ash. Charcoal and oak, with a hint of barley husks. Grass and some light herbs.
Swallow:
The finish is consistent with the palate. Some more focus on the barley and the intense, albeit light smoke flavors are somewhat toned down. Still I get hints of ash and smoke, but a bit more sweet and less herbaceous than on the palate.
So much for me thinking it was consistent towards the finish…
Anyway, this is a weird whisky. The light spirit doesn’t really mingle well with the salty, fishy smoke on the nose. The palate is a bit more balanced, as is the finish.
I think this whisky is more of a curiosity than anything more than that. I’m glad I’ve been able to try it, but I’m also glad I’ve never been tempted by getting this for a bottle share or so.
Having said that, it’s not bad. I still score it 86 points. But it’s nowhere near a € 500 quality level. Also, I never guessed this was from a sherry butt…
Craigduff 1973, 04/04/1973 – 03/11/2005, Sherry Butt 2514, 53.9%. Available for 530 from Best of Whisky
