Craigellachie 2008 / 17 Year Old / Duncan Taylor Octave Speyside Whisky

Marianne Blom — Absolute stunner from Duncan Taylor

9/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's become one of my favourite Speysiders. At 54% it's got real punch but there's a gorgeous honeyed sweetness underneath — dried apricot, toffee, a hint of old oak. Seventeen years in an octave cask has done wonders. Worth every penny of that hundred quid.

Devon Marsh — Absolute stunner from Duncan Taylor

9/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's become one of my favourite Speysiders. At 54% it's got real punch but there's a gorgeous honeyed sweetness underneath — dried apricot, toffee, a hint of old oak. Seventeen years in an octave cask has done wonders. Worth every penny of that hundred quid.

Ruth Banks — Absolute stunner from Duncan Taylor

9/10

Picked this up on a whim and it's become one of my favourite Speysiders. At 54% it's got real punch but there's a gorgeous honeyed sweetness underneath — dried apricot, toffee, a hint of old oak. Seventeen years in an octave cask has done wonders. Worth every penny of that hundred quid.

Annika Svensson — Solid but needs time to open up

8/10

Don't rush this one. Straight from the bottle it's a bit hot and closed off at 54%, but give it 20 minutes in the glass and it really blossoms into this rich orchard fruit and vanilla thing. Added a few drops of water and got lovely baking spices and a long warm finish. Good stuff.

Maxwell Green — Solid but needs time to open up

8/10

Don't rush this one. Straight from the bottle it's a bit hot and closed off at 54%, but give it 20 minutes in the glass and it really blossoms into this rich orchard fruit and vanilla thing. Added a few drops of water and got lovely baking spices and a long warm finish. Good stuff.

Wei Zhang — Solid but needs time to open up

8/10

Don't rush this one. Straight from the bottle it's a bit hot and closed off at 54%, but give it 20 minutes in the glass and it really blossoms into this rich orchard fruit and vanilla thing. Added a few drops of water and got lovely baking spices and a long warm finish. Good stuff.

Mei-Lin Wu — The nose alone is worth it

8/10

I could sit and just smell this all evening. Butterscotch, ripe plums, a whiff of something floral I can't quite place. On the palate it's rich and oily with a pleasant oakiness that doesn't overpower. Seventeen years has treated Craigellachie well here.

Victor Osei — The nose alone is worth it

8/10

I could sit and just smell this all evening. Butterscotch, ripe plums, a whiff of something floral I can't quite place. On the palate it's rich and oily with a pleasant oakiness that doesn't overpower. Seventeen years has treated Craigellachie well here.

Zara Al-Hassan — The nose alone is worth it

8/10

I could sit and just smell this all evening. Butterscotch, ripe plums, a whiff of something floral I can't quite place. On the palate it's rich and oily with a pleasant oakiness that doesn't overpower. Seventeen years has treated Craigellachie well here.

Felix Moreau — Nice whisky, slightly overpriced

7/10

It's good, no question. Classic Speyside character with some extra depth from the octave maturation — I get malt, stewed pears, a bit of cinnamon. But at nearly a hundred quid I keep comparing it to bottles I like just as much for £70. If it were £80 I'd rate it higher.

Adaobi Eze — Nice whisky, slightly overpriced

7/10

It's good, no question. Classic Speyside character with some extra depth from the octave maturation — I get malt, stewed pears, a bit of cinnamon. But at nearly a hundred quid I keep comparing it to bottles I like just as much for £70. If it were £80 I'd rate it higher.

Haruki Sato — Nice whisky, slightly overpriced

7/10

It's good, no question. Classic Speyside character with some extra depth from the octave maturation — I get malt, stewed pears, a bit of cinnamon. But at nearly a hundred quid I keep comparing it to bottles I like just as much for £70. If it were £80 I'd rate it higher.

Alex Ramos — Octave cask magic

9/10

This is what smaller casks can do when they get it right. The wood influence is there but it's balanced — you get that classic Craigellachie meatiness alongside dark honey and dried fruit. I drink it neat and it handles the 54% beautifully without being a fire-breather. One of my better purchases this year.

Connor McBride — Octave cask magic

9/10

This is what smaller casks can do when they get it right. The wood influence is there but it's balanced — you get that classic Craigellachie meatiness alongside dark honey and dried fruit. I drink it neat and it handles the 54% beautifully without being a fire-breather. One of my better purchases this year.

Tiffany Nguyen — Octave cask magic

9/10

This is what smaller casks can do when they get it right. The wood influence is there but it's balanced — you get that classic Craigellachie meatiness alongside dark honey and dried fruit. I drink it neat and it handles the 54% beautifully without being a fire-breather. One of my better purchases this year.

Ingrid Holm — Good dram, not a showstopper

7/10

Enjoyed this over a few evenings with a splash of water. Pleasant Speyside profile — vanilla, caramel, some nuttiness — and the octave cask adds a nice spicy edge. At 17 years old and cask strength it's certainly well made. Just didn't blow me away the way I hoped at this price point.

Rafael Santos — Good dram, not a showstopper

7/10

Enjoyed this over a few evenings with a splash of water. Pleasant Speyside profile — vanilla, caramel, some nuttiness — and the octave cask adds a nice spicy edge. At 17 years old and cask strength it's certainly well made. Just didn't blow me away the way I hoped at this price point.

Isla McCallister — Good dram, not a showstopper

7/10

Enjoyed this over a few evenings with a splash of water. Pleasant Speyside profile — vanilla, caramel, some nuttiness — and the octave cask adds a nice spicy edge. At 17 years old and cask strength it's certainly well made. Just didn't blow me away the way I hoped at this price point.