Cragganmore 12 Year Old is hugely complex and rich, with layers of flavour and a whiff of smoke in the finish. Speyside today is widely revered for its sublime malt whiskies and for its fine salmon fishing. It is here, in this fertile triangle of land between mountain and sea, long been known as the Garden of Scotland, that Cragganmore single malt whisky is distilled. Nestling on the banks of the legendary salmon river, Cragganmore is, for many, the home of the definitive Speyside malt. Having won Gold at the Scotch Whisky Masters in 2010 and 2011, Cragganmore 12 Year Old is perfect for sharing when the need arises to raise a glass.
APPEARANCE
Gold.
BODY
Firm, rounded, light to medium.
NOSE
A combination of sweet floral fragrances, riverside herbs and flowers with some honey and vanilla. “The most complex nose of any Single Malt Scotch Whisky” (Michael Jackson).
PALATE
A strong malty taste with hints of sweet wood smoke and sandalwood.
FINISH
A long, malt-driven finish with light smoke and hints of sweetness.
Review 75 16th August 2020
We return to reviewing 12 year old whiskies, looking at one of Diageos Speyside offerings, Cragganmore.
Typical for the distillery owners, it is bottled at 40% ABV, is chill filtered and has been colour adjusted. It has an average retail price of £36.45, it gets a value score of 83.86 out of 100. Specifics about this whisky require a bit of digging around the internet and away from the official website, which is a shame. This is a sherry matured single malt that has been very lightly peat smoked.
On to the tasting.
On the nose; The first aroma to notice is the fruit, as expected from a sherry influenced malt. They are dried and dark fruits, very aromatic, there is no hint of any smoke. The nose is quite wonderful with some lingering malt and some marzipan. This nose promises a very enjoyable taste.
On the palate however, it doesn't deliver on the expectations from the nose. Its starts with malt biscuit and finishes drying and bitter. The texture is initially quite watery. There are some fruit notes, maybe raisin and a small amount of cherry and marzipan, but they are quite vague. On a second sip the texture is waxy with some cream and nut oil presenting with some pepper on the finish. The alcohol does give a little nip on the short to medium finish.
As for smoke, concentrate hard enough there is the faintest of whiff of smoke on the palate, maybe some ash and its right at the finish. This isn't a stand out whisky, but it isn't terrible. After the amazing nose, the palate is the let down. The sherry influence is very subdued which suggests this is maybe a second fill sherry cask? but we honestly don't know.
Would we buy a full bottle? In short No! Part of a tasting pack at maybe 200ml, then yes, but only if part of an offer. We score it an overall of 84 out of 100. It would make a good beginner whisky, but not necessarily good enough as a gateway into scotch or the style.
Do remember these are our initial thoughts. Whisky deserves time to breathe and open. Then time after the first nose and sip to open some more, maybe with a dash of water and more time. The best experience is unhurried.