Prefer your whisky with body, heft, and richness—the characteristics often translated into the generic descriptive term of “meaty”? The secret is worm tubs. Now we do know that ”meat” and “worms” are not necessarily two words you’d like to hear in the same sentence, but the “worms” in this instance refer benignly to the submerged metal coils that comprise the old-fashioned condensing system at the Craigellachie Distillery in Scotland. When Craigellachie 13 Year Old single malt Scotch passes through these coils and slowly cools the whisky attains its distinctively “meaty” texture—dense, weighty, even a touch oily in its succulent mouth feel.
With the charcoal-smoky flavors imparted by 13 years aging in oak barrels, this whisky is the liquid equivalent of a barbecued ribeye steak—robust, fatty, and all but bursting with flavor. Flavors of charred wood, ripe bananas, coffee, and vanilla are also present, leading to a spicy lingering finish with a touch of apricot sweetness. Sip this one neat to allow the fullness of the texture to roll, heavy and satisfying, over your tongue, or observe the way it opens up beautifully with a drop of water. And with no animals harmed in the production of this tasty dram—not even worms—it’s even vegetarian-friendly.
