Home Tasting: Craigellachie 1990 24yo THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY '44.65'

The concentrated fruity character was very good. Craigellachie CRAIGELLACHIE 1990 24yo THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY '44.65' 52.4% One of 294 bottles, Refill Bourbon Hogshead ・Aroma: A pleasant matured aroma with ripe citrus and green apple, high-quality white wine, Japanese nuances of persimmon and Japanese pears, a hint of nectarine, ginger, characteristic flour-like malty notes, wax and oil. ・Flavor: A gentle mouthfeel expands into a slightly viscous texture with concentrated chewiness, matured white wine, grapefruit, juicy Japanese pears, white wine, strong wax and candle notes, pleasant sweetness and acidity, barley umami, slightly tar and smoke, freshly extinguished candles, plain cask notes with a pleasant, slightly oily long finish. ・Watering down: The fresh citrus nuances increase, the pear-like character becomes more pronounced, resulting in a cleaner and purer aroma. It remains intact even with generous watering down. ・Overall Review: The cask character is not strong, with a plain aroma, but it retains fresh nuances while having a matured feel. The concentrated character and pleasant barley notes made it quite delicious. The strong waxiness combined with a distinct Japanese pear-like nuance was particularly impressive. 【Very Good】 SMWS's number 44 is Craigellachie from 1990, aged for 24 years. I drank it at Yurakucho and really liked it, so I purchased it and enjoyed it carefully at home. Overall, it's more of a Highland style than a Speyside, with strong wax and oil notes similar to Clydesdale. Generally aligning with my bar drinking impressions, I won't elaborate much, but the changes after opening were quite substantial as expected. Specifically, the initially flour-like texture faded over time, becoming increasingly viscous and waxy, with the final notes of wax and oil becoming quite strong. A unique and delicious Craigellachie with a distinct character that may divide preferences, but it's full of the charm of single malts. I couldn't help but purchase a few more bottles. Even after that, it remained available for sale on the official site for quite some time, and it was reasonably priced considering its specifications. The fact that I could often find additional bottles I liked after sipping slowly is one of the charms of the society.