Cragganmore 12 Year Old is the core bottling from one of Speyside's more complex distilleries and the malt Diageo chose to represent Speyside in its Classic Malts range. It is fuller and more layered than many Speyside 12-year-olds, with honey, fruit and a faint thread of smoke.
About This Whisky
The 12 Year Old is the standard distillery release, bottled at 40% ABV. It shows the house character clearly: honeyed malt, ripe orchard fruit and herbal notes, with a light smokiness from the lightly peated malt the distillery uses. The oak influence is restrained, so the spirit itself does most of the talking.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Heather honey, baked apple, dried herbs and a wisp of wood smoke
- Palate: Medium-bodied and malty, with sweet fruit, toffee, a nutty note and gentle spice
- Finish: Medium length, dry and slightly smoky with lingering malt
Serving & Food
Easy to serve: neat, with a splash of water, or over one large cube. It also makes a good highball. Roast chicken, smoked trout or a cheeseboard with Comté show off its savoury side.
How to Enjoy
Everyday sipping and hosting, and a good way into Speyside malt with more depth than most.
Product Details
Distillery: Cragganmore
Age: 12 years old
Category: Speyside single malt Scotch whisky
Country: Scotland
Region: Speyside
ABV / Strength: 40% ABV
Bottle size / Format: 700mL
About the Distillery
Cragganmore was built in 1869 by John Smith, an experienced distiller who had worked at several Speyside distilleries. He chose a site near Ballindalloch beside the Strathspey railway so that barley and coal could come in and whisky go out by rail. The distillery is now owned by Diageo.
Its spirit stills are unusual: small, with flat tops and lyne arms running out to traditional worm tub condensers. The flat tops increase reflux, while the worm tubs limit contact between copper and vapour, giving a heavier, more savoury new make than the light, grassy Speyside stereotype. That weight is why Cragganmore stands up well to age.