Cragganmore 27 year old 1989 Archives, cask 1465

Monday's Cragganmore was not good. Wednesday's Cragganmore was a drinker. How will today's Cragganmore fare? It's from the 1989 vintage just like Wednesday's official bottling, though this one is older and from a sherry hogshead. Its hue is very dark, so one can anticipate the whisky will taste different than this week's other two Craggs.

Distillery: Cragganmore

Owner: Diageo

Region: Speyside (Moray)
Bottler: Archives
Age: 27 years (May 1989 - November 2016)
Maturation: sherry hogshead
Outturn: 70 bottles (a split cask?)
Alcohol by Volume: 48.7%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? No

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The layered nose shows toffee chips, baked apple and marzipan on top of soil and stones. Smaller notes of mango and golden raisins settle in the background. Diluting it to 43%abv cranks up the sherry cask. Cherry syrup, golden raisins and beef up front, with stones and toffee in the middle. Baked apple and florals in the back.

This one has more of an industrial note than the other Craggs' palates, though it also offers Manuka honey, guava and a little bit of orange. But with time it turns into sugary oak reduction, much like an old bourbon. The tannins remain at 43%abv, but the sweetness gets gentler, lychee and grapefruit show up, as does a spicy zing. So the palate does the reverse of the nose.

It finishes like a 15+ year old bourbon. Mouth drying, lots of old wood. Some ash and a hint of orange. Once the whisky is reduced to 43%abv, the finish nearly matches the palate, with a little more fruit.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

It's a bourbon drinker's scotch. That's what my brain kept saying as I sipped this neatly. As with the official '89, dilution mellows the palate's oak and adds fruit, both plusses in my book. In fact, there's a 6 to 8 point swing once water is added because I really couldn't get into its Orphan-Barrel-meets-pseudo-Stagg style. Like long-aged bourbons, this Cragganmore's nose was very nice at all strengths but, again, whisk(e)y is for drinking.

Availability - Long gone
Pricing - around €200 five years ago
Rating - 85 (with water only, high 70s when neat)

Cragganmore 21 year old 1989, Special Release 2010

Wow, Cragganmore 12 was disappointing. I hope I can reuse the bottle or something. Anyhoo, this blog needs more reviews of older Cragganmore, so I will be reviewing one 1989 today, and another 1989 on Friday. Today's '89 was from Diageo's 2010 Special Releases, a set that included my favorite Glen Spey and a very good Auchroisk. I hope the Cragg's quality can match theirs!

Distillery: Cragganmore

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Owner: Diageo
Range: Special Releases
Age: 21 years (1989-2010)
Maturation: Refill American Oak!!!
Outturn: 5856 bottles (identical to that of the Auchroisk)
Alcohol by Volume: 56.0%
Chillfiltered? No
e150a? Possibly not

(from a bottle split)

NOTES

The nose offers a mix of spirit and cask. Hay, ocean water and old bowling shoes. Vanilla pods, caramel chews and toasted coconut-coated marshmallows. It shifts significantly once the whisky gets reduced to 43%abv, turning into lemon bars (but with yuzu), pound cake, blueberry jam and a subtle grassiness.

The palate leads with tart oranges, coal smoke, malt and a hint of soil. It takes on more tannins with time. The oak hushes up once the whisky is dropped to 43%abv. It's super tart, lots of limes, lemons and blackberries, with hints of florals and bitterness in the background.

The citrus turns sweeter in the finish, with bits of earth and tannin throughout. At 43%abv, the citrus becomes more complex, balancing sweet, tart and bitter.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Hear ye, hear ye, I like this better with water! It's a bit woody when neat, reading more like first-fill than refill casks. The nose transforms at 43%abv, and the palate's citrus improves. It ain't dreamy, mostly a casual drinker, yet such an improvement over the standard 12 year old. A standard 18yo or 21yo Cragganmore at 43%/46% would be very interesting were it offered at the right price. 

Availability - May still be available after all this time
Pricing - anywhere from $200 to $350
Rating - 86 (hydrate it!)

Cragganmore 12 year old (bottled 2018)

Part of the original crop of United Distillers' Classic Malts back in 1988, Cragganmore 12 year old has always been bottled at 40%abv, filtered and dyed. Around 15 years ago, I enjoyed Cragganmore 12yo, but it's been more than a decade since I've sipped it. So I bought a wee bottle of to find out how the whisky tastes all these years later.

Distillery: Cragganmore

Region: Speyside (Moray)

Owner: Diageo

Range: Classic Malts

Age: at least 12 years old

Maturation: ???

Alcohol by Volume: 40%

Chillfiltered: Yup
e150a: Indeed

(from my 200ml bottle)

NOTES

I find a mix of gummy bears, barley and cardamom in the nose's foreground. Coal dust in the middle. Green apples and watermelon candy in the background.

The palate begins with moderate sweetness, barley, vanilla and a peppery heat. It takes on a considerable buttery note with time. The texture is watery throughout.

It finishes with barley, tannins and hint of sweet citrus, picking up butter and caramel with time.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

"Not a step up from Diageo's middle shelf blends," reads my handwritten notes. Really. One is better off choosing Johnnie Black, Old Parr 12, or Buchanan's Deluxe than this single malt. It's even possible that the Glendullan Singleton can compete. Cragg 12 is thin and forgettable. There's nothing unique to its palate. Though the barley notes have potential, generic oak clambers roughshod on top. It has taken too much energy to consume 1/3 of this wee bottle. What a bummer. Looks like this is another one going the way of highballs.

Availability - Many specialty retailers around the globe
Pricing - $55 to $85 (WHAT?)
Rating - 73

Three ol' Speyside/Highland samples from Whiskybase

Gosh, remember when Whiskybase Shop sold samples? Yeah they were tiny, but there were some gems. My three remaining Whiskybase samples are probably not gems, but they don't fit any other planned lineups and I need to consume my old samples, so here we are. They're sitting right here and I'm about to taste them side-by-side, and not in the order in the picture, instead I'll do 'em by age.

Deanston 15 year old 1997 Archives, hogshead #1959, 55.8%abv

So Deanston has become a thing. I know neither when nor why. Maybe it has something to do with Ian Macmillan's work? I dunno. If you were to go back in time 15 years and tell single malt geeks that Deanston and Edradour single casks would become popular someday, those folks would laugh in your face and exclaim, "Yeah, right after Ledaig gets overexposed."

Nose - It starts with a minty, sugary bourbon-like blast that gradually peels away baring toasted grains, dried herbs and hot cardboard. Adding water brings out more herbs, yeast and anise.

Palate - Vanilla, sugar and a hint of mint to start, again tilting towards bourbon. Some good herbal bitterness and a simple tartness adds character. It gets sweet, sour and papery once diluted.

Finish - Better than the palate. Vanilla, apples and lemon juice. Dilution turns it sour, bitter and papery.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

Not one of Archives's best picks. I think the hogshead is more of a problem than the Deanston spirit. Keep water away from this one and perhaps it'll appeal to your American whiskey-drinking friends or your American whiskey-drinking self.

Rating range - C+ (77-79)

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Speyside Region 18 year old 1998 Archives, butt #1034, 52.7%abv

These "Speyside Region" malts are often Glenfarclas, sometimes Glenlivet and probably not the actual Speyside distillery. That's it for the introduction.

Nose - Milk chocolate, dried cherries, black pepper and balsamic vinegar with smaller notes of vanilla and limes in the background. Not much change once water is added, it's just flatter, quieter.

Palate - Mildly sweet with dried berries, toffee, cocoa and bits of earth and woody bitterness. Dilution sweetens it up, brings in the flowers and vanilla beans.

Finish - Milk chocolate, toffee and vanilla ice cream. A little bit of woody bitterness. Once diluted it matches the palate.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

A good middle-ground sherried thing, the whisky could indeed be from any Speyside production facility. I love the milk chocolate, but could do with less woody bitterness. Again, it's better when neat, and the nose proves to be the most complex element.

Rating range - B (84-86)

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Cragganmore 20 year old 1991 Whiskybroker, hogshead #1146, 53.4%abv

There needs to be more Cragganmore on this blog, but there ain't much Cragganmore around. No one samples it out and I don't live near a Cadenhead shop in Europe. I don't live in Europe, period.

Nose - Aw yeah. Iodine, mango pits, fish sauce, cucumber skins. Hints of malt and industrial funk. It gets waxier and herbal with dilution and even picks up a toffee pudding note.

Palate - Lean and not sweet. Industrial, metallic and earthy. Limes and herbal liqueur. A bit of butterscotch appears after some time. Lots of soot and citrus appear once water is added.

Finish - Inky and herbal. Some dunnage. Hints of lemon and butterscotch. Stays the same after dilution.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

This whisky was such weird fun. I just adore this imperfect (or is it perfect?) dingy style, and I'm always on the lookout for it. But also, THIS BOTTLE WAS 46 EUROS. Eight years ago. I'm not saying everything in the world was better eight years ago but. 

Rating range - B+ (87-89)

Single Malt Report: Cragganmore 20 year old 1991 Single Cask (Master of Malt)

Continuing with yesterday's theme of tastings gone awry, I present to you:

Product Link

Distillery: Cragganmore
Owner: Diageo

Independent Bottler: Master of Malt

Age: 20 years (March 1991 - March 2011)

Maturation: refill hogshead

Type: Single Malt

Alcohol by Volume: 54.2%
Cask: 1157
Limited Release: 274 bottles

This is likely a case wherein the whisky was fine, but the drinker's taste buds were not.  So, I'd best do some disclaimers here:

1.  Cragganmore distills a great spirit.

2.  Master of Malt is one of the best online whisky retailers.  Their Drinks by the Dram options have helped grandly expand my whisky world.

3.  Their own bottlings have been quite good so far and I hope they keep it going!

4.  Candidly, I probably flubbed this one.  No one else's reviews show the quirk that I experienced.  There just was a sensory misunderstanding between the malt and I.  My only defense is that this was about a year ago, before I'd even started the Single Malt Report postings.

Ruben of WhiskyNotes has a good review of it here.
The Casks has an in-depth write-up on it here.
Gal at WhiskyIsrael also has a very positive post on it here.

Compare their notes of malt, mint, flowers, juicy fruits, ginger, green tea, honey, and apples with.....um.....this:

NEAT
Color -- Straw with a gold hue
Nose -- Alcohol-forward, apples, actual wood planks
Palate -- SALTY SALT, perfumed, caramel, salted caramel
Finish -- Alcohol heat on the gums, spicy and long

WITH WATER
Nose -- More sugary, caramel chews, dried apricots, cherries, maybe a hint of vanilla?
Palate -- Oak, SALT
Finish -- Still hot and spicy, but now there's SALT in the finish

Water brought out the better nose characteristics.  But I had a difficult time finding the palate because...

(Source)

I felt like a cow at the salt lick.

This isn't one of my prouder malt moments, but I want to make sure that I share both the clarity and confusion in my whisky journey.

As this tasting was done over a year ago, perhaps I can chalk it up to a newbie tasting fail.  I remember sitting there, staring at my Glencairn glass thinking, "Crap, I can't taste anything but table salt.  Is that vanilla?  No, that's more salt.  Fruit?  Nope, salt."  And because no one else online has noted sodium chloride...and the bottler does consistent good work...and the distillery makes good stuff......that leaves one party with the issue.

This sort of thing happens from time to time.  We aren't always in our best tasting shape, just like we're not always in our best biking shape or our best dancing shape.  A stuffy nose, allergies, exhaustion, or just lack of focus can effect how receptors transmit information to the brain.

So, this was probably a decent dram.  I encourage you to read the positive reviews that I linked to above.  The 700mL bottles are sold out, but the samples are still for sale here.  Master of Malt also put out a second Crag 1991 single cask release here.

I'll be reporting on another Master of Malt single cask release next week, and it's likely to be something quite different than this.  We can all hope, right.  ;-)

Availability - Master of Malt only, samples only

Pricing - Bottles have sold out, samples are 4.50GBP plus int'l shipping

Rating - 78