Item Description
Cragganmore 12, the Speyside member of Diageo's Classic Malt series, is readily available, famously aromatic and quite tasty; an excellent dram. Michael Jackson credit's the nose as "the most complex of any malt."A world renowned complexity and very reasonable price tag. Very gentle, both sweet and dry, malty and smoky, a beautiful study in contradictions.
Color: Honey
Nose: At a quick whiff, the nose is very sweet, but upon further inspection it dries down almost immediately. Sherry and indistinct herbal notes are readily available along with cut wild grasses. Sherry persists alongside the herbs, along with sweet rolling malty notes. Dries down even more, but not from the oak. To truly appreciate this nose, you will need to spend several minutes. Thyme, tarragon, sweet, mild Indian spices slowly emerge amidst basic floral aromas. Wheat fields and rolling hills develop in your minds eyes and a pond surrounded by wild flowers, grasses and herbs. Pink peppercorns, white ash and aspen wood chips, lemongrass, faint sweet pine all bask in the distance. I think with more time, even more complexity could emerge. Mr. Jackson was right, this is incredibly complex. But this nose takes some time to develop at the onset it's basic consisting of primarily of sherry, sweet malt, and herbs, but give it time and good wide snifter to really open up, it's worth it. A few drops of water, open this nose very much as well. The malt is strenghtened and the aromas intensified, There is so much going on, words fail.
Palate: Opens very sweet, small batch clover honey, drying down, lemongrass, tangerine, lots of herbage, a touch of salt, faintest whiff of smoke. The smell of uncut thyme, slowly warming. Once the warmth begins, it dries very quickly becoming nearly stoney with herbal notes remaining. Fades into dry stoney, woody notes.
Finish: Delicate and Dry, long, very gentle warm, touches of salt and earth. Crisp and clean, incredibly dignified and refined. Leaving you longing for another sip.
In general, I'm not a fan of sherried malts or Speysiders, but this is one of my primary exceptions. Cragganmore is a top notch malt, runs $35-45 dollars. This aromas is astoundingly complex, but I have dealt with others that I find more enjoyable. I would love to see more smoke and sweetness with this malt for contrast with all dried herbs. Works well as an aperitif or a digestif. Definately take some time to examine the nose, it pays off. It love to seem them make an 18 or 25 year old expression.
Overall Score: 90
Here's a link to the discussion thread.
Color: Honey
Nose: At a quick whiff, the nose is very sweet, but upon further inspection it dries down almost immediately. Sherry and indistinct herbal notes are readily available along with cut wild grasses. Sherry persists alongside the herbs, along with sweet rolling malty notes. Dries down even more, but not from the oak. To truly appreciate this nose, you will need to spend several minutes. Thyme, tarragon, sweet, mild Indian spices slowly emerge amidst basic floral aromas. Wheat fields and rolling hills develop in your minds eyes and a pond surrounded by wild flowers, grasses and herbs. Pink peppercorns, white ash and aspen wood chips, lemongrass, faint sweet pine all bask in the distance. I think with more time, even more complexity could emerge. Mr. Jackson was right, this is incredibly complex. But this nose takes some time to develop at the onset it's basic consisting of primarily of sherry, sweet malt, and herbs, but give it time and good wide snifter to really open up, it's worth it. A few drops of water, open this nose very much as well. The malt is strenghtened and the aromas intensified, There is so much going on, words fail.
Palate: Opens very sweet, small batch clover honey, drying down, lemongrass, tangerine, lots of herbage, a touch of salt, faintest whiff of smoke. The smell of uncut thyme, slowly warming. Once the warmth begins, it dries very quickly becoming nearly stoney with herbal notes remaining. Fades into dry stoney, woody notes.
Finish: Delicate and Dry, long, very gentle warm, touches of salt and earth. Crisp and clean, incredibly dignified and refined. Leaving you longing for another sip.
In general, I'm not a fan of sherried malts or Speysiders, but this is one of my primary exceptions. Cragganmore is a top notch malt, runs $35-45 dollars. This aromas is astoundingly complex, but I have dealt with others that I find more enjoyable. I would love to see more smoke and sweetness with this malt for contrast with all dried herbs. Works well as an aperitif or a digestif. Definately take some time to examine the nose, it pays off. It love to seem them make an 18 or 25 year old expression.
Overall Score: 90
Here's a link to the discussion thread.
) I've been 'into' single malts for a decade now, and Craggy has been with me from the start and always since. 
)
