Whisky: Cragganmore, 2016 Special Release

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 55.7%

Cask: Refill, Rejuvenated, and Bodega Casks

Nose: Citrus rind, dried pineapple, passion fruit sorbet, subtle sandalwood and lacquer, shortbread cookies and hints of medicinal herbs.

Palate: Medium-bodied, citrus candies, cedar wood floors and burning sandalwood incense, a kiss of salt, ginger, clove, and lemon peel, peppercorns toward the end with herbal tea and honey.

Finish: Long and lingering with citrus peel, herbal spice, and honey

Score: 8

Mental Image: Baudolino’s Green Honey

Narrative & Notes: Citrusy and sweet, the aroma was loaded with lemon peel gummies, key lime curd, dried pineapple candies, passion fruit sorbet, and buttery shortbread cookies. Hints of salt appeared with a box of medicinal herbs— mostly peppercorns, mugwort, and cloves. A beautiful woodiness ran throughout with sandalwood, cedar, and lacquer. The palate was medium-bodied and oily with a bounty of citrus candies scattered across worn and warmed cedar wood flooring. Burning sandalwood came to mind with a subtle salt, smoke, and spice box with ginger, clove, peppercorn, and lemon peel. Toward the end, the underlying herbal notes came to the fore with sweet honey carrying on for a long and lingering finish with more citrus peel and herbal spice.

A pricy no-age-statement special release? I admit I did not even want to try this, and when a friend offered to split the bottle, it took some hand-wringing before I finally agreed to take some and give it a try. In the end, I was glad I did.

Rich, balanced, and well-integrated, this was a superlative-worthy whisky and one of the best Cragganmore I have tasted. I do wish I knew a bit more about what went into this malt. We have some cask information, and then various rumors and stories about some very old parcels of Cragganmore combined with younger ones. A whisky like this is the perfect opportunity for a brand to do storytelling beyond the usual vanilla box or ad copy. I believe Diageo has gotten better about this, but there is still so much more that could be done to highlight the essential skills and craft of producers, warehouse managers, and blenders.

Overall, while I wish I knew more about this bottle and everything that went into it, it was delicious nonetheless.

Image Credit: Whisky Exchange