Cragganmore 24 Years Old 1989 Evergreen Forest (Wemyss)

A Cragganmore of a 24 year old chosen by the bottler Wemyss Malts, distilled in 1989, bottled at 46%, one of 326 bottles. Cragganmore, on the River Spey at Ballindalloch, is the heart malt of the Old Parr blend. The Distillers Edition is finished in Port wood, the house double matured expression.

It was distilled in flat topped stills with worm tub condensers on Craggan Burn water, giving the meaty, malty spirit at its heart. An ex-Bourbon barrel shaped it, vanilla beneath the savoury, malty character. In the oxidative, evaporative years concentration brings dried fruit, fig and a savoury depth over a waxy malt. Most Cragganmore goes quietly into blends like Old Parr, a little kept as single malt. The meaty, fragrant make rewards a long, patient maturation. The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith, the most experienced distiller of his day, who had run Macallan, Glenlivet and Glenfarclas.

At 46% it is clean and soft. A fragrant, savoury sweetness, with a soft vanilla from the oak. The mouthfeel is full, the fruit carried on a meaty, malty body. The finish is long, complex and savoury. This is one of the most complex of the Speyside malts.