While Craigellachie exists in the Speyside region of Scotland, the distillery has long been proud of forging its own style that doesn’t always match up with its neighbors, whether that means using heritage equipment from a bygone era or adding a new twist to the production process. A new entrant into distillery’s core line of offerings, the Craigellachie Bas-Armagnac takes the distillery’s core 13 year single malt and finishes it for over a year in casks from Gascony that once held Bas-Armagnac. Translated as Lower Armagnac, it is a region in southwestern France along the border with Spain. Grapes grown in this region are blended into a specific style of brandy that uses column stills in the distillation rather than the pot stills often used in cognac production. The Bas-Armagnac region accounts for about 60% of all Armagnac production.
Liberty Pole Spiced Whiskey
The Liberty Pole Spiced Whiskey is an annual release, usually in October. It is based on a rye that’s at least 3 years old and matured in a 53-gallon oak barrel. To this is added allspice, orange peel, brown sugar and cinnamon. The genesis of this mixture came about at a holiday party where the Old Fashioneds had a homemade allspice dram added, which the distillers attempt to recreate here. Thanks mom! Historically, Pennsylvania distillers during the Whiskey Rebellion also added spices to their whiskies during the holidays.
Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask
Tullamore D.E.W. likes the number 3. Triple distilled, triple blended, three ingredients. Making whiskey either by brand or by hand at their own distillery since 1829, when the original distillery opened in Tullamore. The D.E.W. of the brand name is from former distillery manager and owner Daniel E. Williams, who created what would eventually become the brand signature (and caused to have his initial stamped on the barrels, D.E.W.). One of the offerings from their large portfolio is this Tullamore D.E.W. Cider Cask, taking a spirit aged in ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks and finished in bourbon barrels that once held apple cider.