“The best whisky hotel in all of Scotch Country” – Forbes
… and home to the world-famous Quaich Bar.
This week, as Speyside celebrates the Whisky Festival, The Craigellachie is buzzing more than ever, serving as the backdrop for some of the most iconic events. And speaking of whisky, we have some exciting news to share: our new entries on the shelves, curated by our very own Quaich Bar Manager, Calum Diack.
Join us as we dive into these latest additions and maybe discover your new favourite.
Craigellachie
Craigellachie 11 Lady of the Glen
Lady of the Glen are close friends of the Quaich Bar because they make fantastic whiskies every time. This whisky is a perfect example of that, matured in a refilled Oloroso Butt and then finished in recharred Oloroso Hogsheads with notes of cinnamon rolls, raisin cakes and cardamom seeds. This is a sherry bomb!
Craigellachie 2013 Berry Bros & Rudd
Berry Bros & Rudd know one or two things in selecting amazing casks having been the fine wine and spirits merchant to the Royal Family of the United Kingdom and having been around for over 300 years. This Craigellachie is finished in Margaux wine cask with flavours of vanilla, blackberries, a whiff of wood smoke and digestive biscuits.
Boutique-y Whisky Company
Strathisla 10 End of the World edition
This whisky from Boutique-y Whisky Company is meant to help lift the dread we sometimes face in life and the whisky industry. Being bombarded by cynicism every day can get boring, so take a break with this amazing expression of Strathisla aged in a bourbon cask. Expect creamy custard, poached orchard fruits, trickles of caramel and gentle, rounded spice.
Speyside 12 Boutique-y core range
Recently, Boutique-y Whisky Company introduced a core range of whisky to their amazing range of single casks and small batches. This is their Speyside offering from an unknown distillery, but don’t let that put you off. This is an absolutely amazing example of what a pure Speyside Sherry style is like. A tangle of dried berries and stewed fruits supports meaty, oily malt. Chewy spice and roasted nuts develop in time, backed by rich oak and a trickle of treacle.
The new friends
Linkwood 10 Fragrant Drops
The world of whisky is always changing with new companies entering the scene, especially in independent bottling. Sometimes it can be too much, but then a bottler comes along that makes you stop and think WOW, and that is Fragrant Drops. This Linkwood is amazing and really shows what a bourbon cask can do with wood spices, oily nuts, caramel, and milky coffee, backed by earthy oak and poached pear.
Glentauchers 2009 Mossburn
Mossburn is the independent bottling arm of the company that owns Torabhaig Distillery, which is a favourite here at the Quaich Bar. Their independent bottlings offer a glimpse into some of the distilleries we don’t often see, and none more so than this Glentauchers, which is owned by Pernod Ricard. This whisky has been sitting for 13 years maturing in sauternes hogsheads which give it a layer of prunes, sultanas, and candied citrus, with a touch of anise and peppery oak.
