Craigellachie 2007 /16 Year Old / Marsala Finish / Cask #38 / Mossburn Speyside Whisky

Natasha Volkov — Solid cask strength Speyside

8/10

Nose is all stewed fruits and a hint of sulfur that blows off after five minutes. On the palate you get raisins, milk chocolate, and a subtle nuttiness from the Marsala finish. Good stuff neat, though at £91 for a single cask IB I'd say it's fairly priced rather than a bargain.

Priya Sharma — Solid cask strength Speyside

8/10

Nose is all stewed fruits and a hint of sulfur that blows off after five minutes. On the palate you get raisins, milk chocolate, and a subtle nuttiness from the Marsala finish. Good stuff neat, though at £91 for a single cask IB I'd say it's fairly priced rather than a bargain.

Oscar Delgado — Marsala finish is a stunner

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and I'm so glad I did. The Marsala cask gives it this gorgeous dried fig and dark cherry thing that plays beautifully against the classic Craigellachie meatiness. At 52.4% it's got real punch but never feels hot — just drop a few drops of water and let it open up. Honestly one of the better independent Speyside bottles I've had this year.

Olivia Park — Marsala finish is a stunner

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and I'm so glad I did. The Marsala cask gives it this gorgeous dried fig and dark cherry thing that plays beautifully against the classic Craigellachie meatiness. At 52.4% it's got real punch but never feels hot — just drop a few drops of water and let it open up. Honestly one of the better independent Speyside bottles I've had this year.

Luna Chavez — Marsala finish is a stunner

9/10

I grabbed this on a whim and I'm so glad I did. The Marsala cask gives it this gorgeous dried fig and dark cherry thing that plays beautifully against the classic Craigellachie meatiness. At 52.4% it's got real punch but never feels hot — just drop a few drops of water and let it open up. Honestly one of the better independent Speyside bottles I've had this year.

Maxwell Green — Punches above its price

8/10

I've had official Craigellachie bottlings that cost more and delivered less. This Mossburn pick has a lovely nose of candied orange and dried cranberry, and the palate follows through with honey and spice. Added a splash of water and it opened right up. Really enjoyable cask strength whisky at a fair price.

Diana Cruz — Wish it had more Marsala influence

7/10

Picked this up expecting the Marsala to dominate but the distillery character is really what drives it. You get that robust, slightly oily Speyside profile with just a whisper of red fruit on the finish. Not bad by any means and the cask strength is welcome, but for £91 I wanted a bit more from the wine cask. Would still recommend trying it if you see it at a bar first.

Clara Johansson — Nice but not life-changing

7/10

It's a well-made whisky, don't get me wrong. The 16 years in wood show — it's mature and rounded with plenty of dark fruit. I just expected the Marsala finish to be more distinctive. If you put this in a blind lineup of sherried Speysides I'm not sure the Marsala character would jump out at me.

Gianluca Ferro — Great after-dinner dram

8/10

This is my go-to nightcap lately. The Marsala cask brings these rich red berry and toffee notes that remind me of dessert wine. I take it neat and it coats the tongue wonderfully at that 52.4% strength. Mossburn did a nice job picking cask #38.

Tyler Bennet — Craigellachie doesn't get enough love

9/10

People sleep on Craigellachie and bottles like this prove why that's a mistake. Sixteen years old, single cask, natural strength — and under a hundred quid? The Marsala finish adds layers of plum jam and baking spice on top of that signature waxy, slightly meaty Craigellachie character. I've already gone back for a second bottle.