Review #22: Craigellachie 9yr 2002/2012, Exclusive Malts, 59.5%, PX cask, cask #80

time to ease back into things

had some nice stuff on my just-completed trip: Laphroaig 10, Old Overholt, Bulleit, and the two Jim Beam "Signature Craft" bourbons. Didn't quite manage to review anything, though.

so here's a Craigellachie. not sure when the last time I had one was -- there seem to be a lot of casks out and about, but no regular bottling and no compelling reason to find one. I assume this one will be sweet and spirity and completely dominated by the sherry, but let's see.

weird stuff. it's dark and there's some burnt sugar on the nose, but it's not obviously a sherry bomb. instead lots of alcohol, and then a weird range that moves from green and grassy (sharp, almost minty) to dry and grassy (old ropes, dry hay) and flinty rocks. after a couple minutes fair amount of sulfur comes out -- spent matches -- so I guess that's a sign this is a sherry cask. there's some jammy fruit in there, too, but it's pretty well buried.

on the palate it's bitter, which is almost but not quite made up for by the sweet.

finish is unpleasant but long. well, it ends in sweet toffee, but I'd rather have just skipped the experience. there are some merits here, but this one isn't for me.

score: 70