Welcome to the second installment of Single Malt Saturday, your diversion from the topics of the week to discuss the "water of life", as it's known in Scotland.
Last week we discussed Lagavulin's 16 Year Old Expression. This week, we'll continue with the "Classic Malts" lineup with a great Speyside whisky: Cragganmore 12 Year Old.
Cragganmore is located in the village of Ballindalloch in Banffshire in Scotland. It begin distilling whisky in 1869. Their stills are known for being unusual for their unique flat tops and being relatively short.
It is a Speyside whisky. The Spey region is where seemingly most distilleries are located in Scotland. There aren't necessarily any specific tastes shared by these distilleries as the sheer number of different whisky makers allows for considerable variation.
If you visit their website, they note:
Barley is naturally a major crop, and the presence of Scotland's fastest flowing river - together with peat from the uplands to the south - was the reason original Cragganmore owner 'Big' John Smith felt that it would be the perfect place for the perfect distillery.
And who could argue with his genius? Successive managers of Cragganmore have strived to continue his vision to deliver the sweetest, most complex malt whiskies: fruity, honeyed notes are often found. And many a taster has talked lyrically of fruitcake and toffee flavours.
"One of Speyside's greats. Elegant and austere. Gradually, almost reluctantly, reveals itself. The most fragrant of whiskies: delicate, herbal, flowery. A palate blossoming with flavours, and a long, lingering, finish." Michael Jackson, whisky writer and expert.
In my tasting experience, Speysides often can be considered "starter whiskies", as they tend to be more subtle and do not often have the strong peat flavor common with Islays. Cragganmore was one of my early favorites once I discovered scotch. It tends to be a whisky requiring some attention to its more subtle notes. The malt used to make the whisky has an influence. Its texture is rather silky with a nice clean finish.
Whisky Magazine's Dave Broom says:
Nose
Complex, rich mix of flowers, fruit (dried and caramelised), plum, baked apple, currant, honey, roast chestnut, meat and toffee. Phew.
Palate
A soft start, then dark fruits mixed with light honey and cooked peach. A rich, elegant, silky texture that fills the mouth. Highly complex.
Finish
Soft with a gentle hint of smoke.
Comment
Balances richness and fragrance superbly.
I find it quite interesting to read the tasting notes of people with well developed taste buds and sniffers. Often, I will return to a whisky and have a better chance of picking out the individual aromas and flavors which eluded me before.
The Cragganmore 12 Year Old is definitely one of the Single Malts that got me more interested in whisky. Its clean flavor and mild taste makes it a good one for more "everyday" sipping (though Single Malt Saturday recommends everything in moderation) or one for guests when they come over for dinner.
This whisky is readily available in most markets and won't set you back too many pennies. In my opinion, it's not an earth shattering whisky, but one that's still rather enjoyable. I often refer to it as one that should be on our whisky shelf at all times. It's a rock solid 4 star whisky in my book.