Mossburn Craigellachie 2007 Marsala Cask

THE DISTILLERY
Craigellachie sits at the heart of Speyside, built in 1891 in the village that gives it its name — but its whisky has spent most of its life working behind the scenes, as a key component of Dewar's blends rather than a single malt in its own right. What sets it apart even among its neighbours is a deliberate refusal to modernise: Craigellachie is one of the last Speyside distilleries still using worm tub condensers rather than modern shell-and-tube systems, a slower, less efficient method that produces a heavier, more sulphurous new-make spirit. The result is a style genuinely out of step with Speyside's reputation for light, floral whisky — meaty, robust, and a little wild. It wasn't officially bottled as a single malt in its own right until 2014.
 
THE WHISKY: MOSSBURN VINTAGE CASKS NO. 38
Mossburn's Vintage Casks series exists to put distilleries like this in front of drinkers directly — small-batch, fully traceable single malts hand-selected by Mossburn's master blender from casks quietly maturing in warehouses across Scotland, bottled without chill filtration or added colour. This release, No. 38, takes Craigellachie's famously bold, worm-tub character and pairs it with something unexpected: a finish in Marsala, the fortified wine of Sicily.
Distilled in 2007, the whisky spent fifteen years in refill hogsheads before a final year resting in Marsala wine casks, and was bottled in March 2024 at sixteen years old, cask strength — 52.4% ABV. The Marsala doesn't soften Craigellachie's character so much as dress it: dried fruit and warm sweetness layered over the distillery's naturally savoury, robust base.
 
TASTING NOTES
Colour: Deep amber, coloured entirely by cask, no additions.
Nose: Nutty and floral, dried apricot and orange marmalade leading, with a warm dusting of sweet spice.
Palate: Full-bodied and savoury at its core, softened by sultana, toasted nuts and a faint whisper of tobacco leaf — Craigellachie's meaty character still very much present beneath the Marsala's richness.
Finish: Long and complex, soft oak spice giving way to red fruit and stewed summer fruit, closing on a light touch of caramel.
Serve: Neat, in a tulip glass — this is a whisky built to be tasted slowly, and its cask strength has enough weight to take a few drops of water if you want to draw out the fruit further. Good alongside dark chocolate or a strong, salty cheese to play against the Marsala sweetness.