The first release in Craigellachie's Cask Collection is a 13-year-old single malt that was initially matured in combination of refill and re-char ex-bourbon barrels, before being finished for just over a year in Bas Armagnac casks from northernmost Gascony, France. The palate offers notes of freshly-baked apples dusted in cinnamon, caramel shortcake, pineapples in syrup and summer bonfires that linger in the finish
Nose: Characteristically rich. with a hint of struck match sulphur. Warm rich vanilla crème patisserie, sweetness from brown sugar, then ripe apple, baked pastry, tart apple sauce, pear, perfectly ripe peach, some soft baking spices, and a touch of limestone. Hard nectarine and white grapes give a bright fruitiness.
Palate: Initially unexpectedly nondescript, but this dram really opened up after the bottle had been open a week or so. The sulphurous aspect is more restrained than the nose, giving body and depth rather than a stand-alone distinct note. The body is full. Once the fruits break through there is sour apple, baked toffee apple, fruity but also a bit peppery, there are quite a lot of woody spices… perhaps from the French oak? There are hints of rechar cask, and a few notes shared with Tomatin Legacy, which has a lot of rechar casks in the recipe. The finish is fairly short and dry with some more minerality, the cubic chalk from an old-fashioned puncture repair kit.
Finish: The Armagnac finish brings softness and roundness to the spirit but does not at all overpower, allowing the spirit character to sing through. Rechar casks add another layer of sweet baked goods and toffee flavour without being too forceful.
