It feels like I am on an exploration of Diageo’s Classic Malts. This year, I have tasted the Talisker 10 year old, the Cardhu 12 year old and now the Cragganmore 12 year old single malt Scotch whisky.
Can you believe it, it is another new distillery that I have not tried before. Cragganmore represents Speyside in the Classic Malts series.The Cragganmore distillery is situated in the Ballindalloch village in Banffshire.
The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith who also managed The Macallan and The Glenlivet distilleries. The site was chosen both for its closeness to the waters of the mineral-rich Craggan Burn which tumbles down the Craggan More hill and because it was close to the Strathspey railway.
The name is derived from the Scottish Gaelic ‘creagan mór’ or ‘big rock’. It is one of the smaller distillers, and the majority of the production is used for blending, especially as part of the White Horse and Johnnie Walker Black blended expressions.
The Cragganmore 12 year old is a sherried expression that is lightly peated. The Cragganmore range also has a Distillers Edition, and I have seen a 25 year old as well. There are various independent bottlings from Cragganmore available too.
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REGION: Speyside
ABV: 43%
COLOUR: Rich Gold
NOSE: Fresh summer fruit salad drizzled with lavender honey, wildflowers with hints of cream and spices. The nose is quite sweet and delicate.
PALATE: Honey and fruit sweetness with hints of smoked nuts and malt. The Cragganmore 12 year old single malt has a medium body and a creamy mouthfeel. Adding water softens the sweetness and brings more spices to the front. Suddenly there are notes of spicy oak and dry orange peel with cloves and pepper.
FINISH: Medium length with orange peel and oak.
RATING: VERY GOOD
I enjoyed the Cragganmore 12 year old Scotch without water, but could not finish it the moment I added the water. It was as if the water changed the sweetness into orange peel notes. How strange. I enjoyed the balance between the sweetness and the smoke, but this changed the moment you add some water.
Not a bad whisky, perhaps I just had a rough day. I will try it again later this week. It is suggested that you pair the Cragganmore 12 year old with a grilled chicken salad to bring out the smoky notes. This pairing might be a great idea for dinner later in the week and a good opportunity to try it again.
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