Cragganmore 12 Year Old

The Cragganmore distillery is part of the huge Diageo group. It is a widely believed that most of the whisky they produce is used in some of Diageo’s blended whiskies, Johnnie Walker Black Label, Old Parr and White Horse to name a few, for the export market. However they do have some single malt expressions sold under the Cragganmore name, including this 12 year aged one.

Bottle

When I look at this bottle it makes me think that it is due an overhaul for the modern age. The bottle shape is basic, yet classic and the label looks like it could be the same ones used on bottles 50 years ago. This adds an element of charm, and yet looks a little out of place in the modern day with so many whisky bottles now designed to strike the balance between being modern, eye-catching and still evoke the heritage of the Scottish whisky industry.

Colour

As expected from this classic Speyside single malt, the colour is glorious. The colouring from sherry casks that it is aged in is abundant, putting it in the warmer, richer end of the middle of the whisky colour spectrum. However, Cragganmore do use some caramel colouring to enhance the hue of the whisky.

Nose - Following that classic colour, the aroma from this whisky is exactly as you would expect - plenty of sweetness from both honey and fresh fruit scents but also slightly floral. A very pleasant aroma. Their website quotes Michael Jackson (the whisky writer not the singer!) as saying that Cragganmore 12 has “the most complex nose of any Single Malt Scotch Whisky” - high praise indeed from the celebrated whisky journalist.

Palate - Once the first sip hits your mouth the flavour you’ll notice many of the same flavours as were present when nosing the whisky. However it moves on into a richer, stronger malt and vanilla flavour. Whilst the whisky is peated, it its very mild as you hold the liquid in your mouth this will reveal itself.

Finish - The finish is a good length and the smokiness lingers here a little, pleasantly (I don’t favour peated whisky but this is gentle enough to be enjoyable for me).

Overall

Whilst the bottle promises a whisky from a forgotten time I find this a relatively invisible whisky on my shelf - I rarely reach for it when i’m looking for a dram. It is neither a comforting favourite nor an exciting, special whisky. Don’t get me wrong the whisky is nice and very drinkable and, for around £40, this is an easy whisky to recommend if someone has never tried it.

Available from Master of Malt for around £40, or check price and availability at Amazon