Cragganmore The Distillers Edition 12 Years Old 1997

An official release of Cragganmore, a 12 year old, from 1997, cask CggD-6561, at 40%. Cragganmore is a Speyside distillery at Ballindalloch, one of the original Classic Malts, known for its complex character. 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, for a full, complex Speyside spirit. A Port pipe laid red fruit and a chocolate note over the complex malt. Through integration spirit and wood marry, vanillin settling into vanilla as ethyl esters lend a riper orchard fruit over the meaty malt. Refill oak lets the complex Cragganmore character lead, malt and dried fruit beneath. The clean spirit shows the cask clearly, vanilla and fruit over a savoury malt. The cool Speyside air gives a slow, even maturation, the flat topped stills' complexity deepening.

At 40% it is smooth and honeyed. Dried fruit, malt and a savoury, fragrant depth, with plum, red berry and chocolate from the cask. A dried fruit and a malty depth give it weight. The finish runs fragrant, meaty and warm. This is a fragrant Speyside single malt of real depth.