Cragganmore 20 Years Old 1991 Single Cask Series (MoM)

From the bottler Master of Malt, a 20 year old Cragganmore, distilled in 1991, bottled at 54.2%, one of 274 bottles. Cragganmore was founded in 1869 by the master distiller John Smith, the first distillery built to use the railway. John Smith reputedly weighed over twenty stone and could not use the railway he loved, too large for the carriages.

The spirit was run through the distillery's unusual flat topped wide neck stills, giving the meaty, malty spirit at its heart. Maturation came in ex-Bourbon wood, the oak quiet behind the complex spirit. Through oxidative maturity esters concentrate, fruit turning to dried fruit over a complex, malty body. Most Cragganmore goes quietly into blends like Old Parr, a little kept as single malt. It is often called one of the most complex of all the Speyside malts. Cragganmore is reckoned among the most complex of all the Speyside malts.

Bottled at a cask strength 54.2%, it is rich. Baked fruit, honey and a savoury depth, with a soft vanilla from the oak. A baked fruit and a warm spice lift it. A full, malty finish ends on dried fruit and a warm spice. This is Cragganmore's fragrant, meaty Speyside style.