Cragganmore The Distillers Edition 13 Years Old 2005

A 13 year old Cragganmore, a distillery bottling, from 2005, cask CggD-6570, at 40%. Cragganmore was built in 1869 beside the Strathspey Railway, a Speyside malt of real depth. Water comes from the Craggan Burn, off the slopes of Craggan More hill.

The spirit was drawn off flat topped stills cooled by worm tubs, building the distinctive Cragganmore style. Double matured in Port wood, plum and dark berry meeting the meaty spirit. Integration folds eugenol (clove) and vanillin (vanilla) into the malt, the savoury body fuller and deeper. The slow loss of the angel's share concentrates the fragrant, savoury core over the years. The meaty, fragrant make rewards a long, patient maturation. The flat topped stills build a complexity that long maturation only deepens. Most Cragganmore goes quietly into blends like Old Parr, a little kept as single malt.

At 40% it is gentle, sweet and fruity. A rich, complex maltiness, with plum, red berry and chocolate from the cask. Dried fruit, malt and a herbal spice fill the middle. Dried fruit, malt and a savoury oak see out the finish. This is Cragganmore's fragrant, meaty Speyside style.