Whisky : Cragganmore 13 Year SMWS 37.81 “Orange turmeric margarita”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 56.6%

Cask : 2nd Fill Sauternes Hogshead

Age : 13 Years (Distilled Oct. 1, 2002)

Tasting : Neat in a Glencairn @ Friend’s Patio

Nose : Orange cream soda and a bit of margarita salt open things up.  A refreshing menthol joins the party as well as delicate orange blossoms.  Lovely fruit and delicate florals with just a hint of salty smoke give this an excellent nose.

Palate :  Oily and waxy, it is an orange blossom scented candle.  Bits of ash and citrus give the impression of a burnt or caramelized orange peal.  Floral and sweet, honey suckle hangs in the background.  Toward the back a green or lightly roasted coffee gives a refreshing and sparkling acidity.

Finish : Long and lingering orange spice and star anise hang on the palate.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Orange! Bang!

Something Similar : Port Charlotte 12 Year; Alexander Murray (similar orange, floral, & smokey caramelization, less finish)

Something Worse : Johnnie Walker Platinum 18 Year (similar orange & creamy sherbet, less body, less complexity)

Notes : Absolutely lovely.  The mild hints of peaty smoke and salt enhance the dominant fruity orange notes.  An excellent oily and full flavored body with a refreshing finish, this dram is dangerously delicious.  This is the kind of bottle that you could inadvertently finish without even realizing it.

I am left really curious to try more Cragganmore after this first taste.  Cragganmore is part of Diageo’s portfolio of distilleries, so it is safe to assume I have probably come across it in a blend at some point.  I would not be surprised at all to know that this made up a portion of the Johnnie Walker Gold or Platinum.  Outside the world of blends and as a single malt there are a lot of options for trying out a Cragganmore.  Cragganmore has had semi regular outturns as part of Diageo’s annual Limited Edition expressions (plus the annual Distiller’s Edition).  There is also an ample portfolio of independently bottled Cragganmore single casks on the market.

The SMWS code name for this one ‘Orange Turmeric Margarita’ is absolutely perfect and really encapsulates what to expect with this dram.  This is perhaps the closest that SMWS and I have been on our mental images.  I did not find the turmeric that they did on my first taste or when I wrote up my impressions, but after reading their notes and going back I can see it.