Craigellachie 2003/2015 Ceder & Tjeder

Ceder & Tjeder is not exactly an independent bottling company, but rather a private cask buying collective from Sweden. In a recent swap with one of their members, I was sent a sample from a 12yo single cask Craigellachie, their first ever bottling. I was told beforehand that I’d either love or hate this whisky. That turned out to be true.

Craigellachie 2003/2015 (59,9%, Ceder & Tjeder ‘Dram Good Whisky No. 1’, C#124/2003)

Nose: Hard to believe this has been in the cask for twelve years. It’s like a fruity new make. Almost no color. Plenty of citrus and some green banana. Sugar. Some linseed oil. Not much else.
Taste: Rough arrival. Chili pepper. Gasoline. And really, that’s about it. Water improves it a bit, making it grassier and adding a hint of sugar.
Finish: Short. Faint grassy notes and thyme.

Rating: 69

What kind of tired cask did they use? I don’t think the spirit would’ve changed much even if it had been in this cask twice as long. Something went wrong here.