Cragganmore 19 Years Old 1997 Cask #1139 (Samaroli)

From the bottler Samaroli, a 19 year old Cragganmore, distilled in 1997, from cask 1139, bottled at 45%. Cragganmore is a fragrant, malty Speyside single malt from the foot of Craggan More hill. Worm tub condensers give the spirit a meaty weight, balanced by the reflux of the flat topped stills.

It was worked through flat topped stills and worm tubs for a meaty, fragrant spirit, giving the meaty, malty spirit at its heart. It rested in ex-Bourbon oak, the wood adding a light honeyed vanilla. At oxidative maturity aldehydes and esters lend dried fruit while ellagitannins add a drying, savoury grip. Cragganmore is reckoned among the most complex of all the Speyside malts. A Port wood finish, the Distillers Edition style, adds plum and dark berry to the malt. Long ageing turns the fresh fruit towards dried fruit, fig, leather and a warm spice. John Smith reputedly weighed over twenty stone and could not use the railway he loved, too large for the carriages.

At 45% it is gentle, sweet and fruity. Baked fruit, honey and a savoury depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. It finishes complex, malty and warm. This is the savoury, complex malt of Ballindalloch.