Two well-aged Cragganmore and a surprise


June 26, 2024

Two well-aged Cragganmore
and a surprise

There isn't much Cragganmore around, even though barrels sometimes appear among the Independents. Some were offered under the 'secret' name of Ballindalloch, often confused with Glenfarclas, which could also be called 'Ballindalloch' or 'a secret malt from Ballindalloch' and other such fun names, but Glenfarclas’s hidden name is actually rather Blairfindy.

Ballindalloch Castle (Cairngorms National Park)

However, all this was before the emergence of the new Ballindalloch Distillery! Are you following me? Never mind, because today we are going to taste two "genuine" old Cragganmore.

Cragganmore 38 yo 1985/2023 (45.3%, OB, Cask of Distinction for Wu Dram Clan and Hong Kong Whisky Fellows, refill American oak, cask #601269, 174 bottles)

I remember that Cragganmore has always been the favourite malt of certain big shots at Diageo, but officially, a good level of neutrality had to be maintained, unless of course, you were assigned to the Distillery yourself. You wouldn’t want to upset the managers of all the other distilleries! Well, let’s move on… Colour: light gold. Nose: glory to refill casks! A myriad of garden and orchard fruits, all perfectly ripe with none overshadowing the others. In other words, no mango oh-la-la (though we do love mango, of course). First, there's an apple tarte barely sprinkled with powdered cinnamon, then pears poached in sweet white wine, followed by all sorts of plums, all perfectly ripe (I insist). A few madeleines and vanilla-scented canelés round off this little masterpiece of sweetness and simplicity. There are contexts, like this one, where simplicity is an undeniable asset. Mouth: very, very beautiful, somewhat more complex this time, with elderflower, for example. The wood expresses itself with tones of black tea and cinnamon, with hints of caraway and anise. It's rather pure and of great elegance. The mirabelle tarte comes next, reminiscent of a famous malt from Dufftown which we shall not name. This tarte is also sprinkled with a bit of cinnamon and drizzled with some wildflower honey. Much delicacy, then. Finish: medium length, more on oranges and pink grapefruits, as well as those little fruit candies you buy at petrol stations. The name escapes me, but I suppose you find very different ones depending on the country. Still orange and honey candies in the aftertaste, along with more cinnamon, but that’s the wood. Comments: a senior, complex and fresh, not tired in the slightest and of great elegance. Am I repeating myself a bit? Almost 92 but we decided, we too, to fight inflation (just kidding).
SGP: 651 - 91 points.

Cragganmore 37 yo 1986/2024 (52.9%, Whisky Sponge, Special Edition, 72 bottles)

This baby got reracked twice after its 30th anniversary, first into 1st fill Port for 5 years, then into a refill barrel for the last 2 years or so. Looks like someone careful enough thought it was time to stop the Portuguese invasion – or the attack of the strawberries (so to speak). Colour: pure amber, no rosiness. Nose: alright, we’ve rather wandered towards very old bourbon here, which is a little surprising but actually great news. Awesome varnish and acetone, indeed a little raspberry eau-de-vie (wild raspberry, great stuff), then rather all things sherry and pastries, clafoutis, maraschino, plus some herbal liqueur, pretty Italian too, with a little menthol inside. Slight gaminess too. Exactly the opposite of the 1985, but it’s not ‘Porty’ at all. With water: immediate return to pure malt, cakes, scones, muffins, shortbread and all that. It's very amusing. A very light gamey note, still there. Grouse, of course, and cranberries too. Mouth (neat): very rich, with an initial arrival with what you usually find towards the finish, like mint, anise, pepper, and liquorice. The cherry remains very present, as does cedarwood. It really reminds me of the clafoutis and battelman from my Alsatian childhood, or the cherries in kirsch from my, er, late adolescence. With water: the mint stays, very black tea appears, and indeed some old red wine creeps in too, but more in the Burgundy style. Which goes very well with the cherries, I grant you. Finish: very long, on cherry stem and thyme teas, with a slight sour edge. A bit of mint and salty liquorice in the aftertaste, then a more vinous comet tail. Comments: an unusual but fantastic old Cragganmore, especially if you love red Burgundy as much as I do. Port? What Port? But the person who decided to rerack it into refill two years ago is a genius.
SGP:661 - 91 points.

It is much easier to distinguish between whiskies of identical or very similar styles as nuances pop out. Here, it's more like apples and oranges, if you know what I mean. So, between apples and cherries, who wins? Everyone.

As a bonus, since we were talking about it just ten minutes ago... With a shout-out to the excellent The Malt Room bar in Inverness.

Ballindalloch 2015/2024 (46%, OB, UK exclusive, 3,600 bottles)

I believe this is the first Ballindalloch we’ve sampled, aside from the various secret Glenfarclas or Cragganmore that had been labelled ‘Ballindalloch’ in the past. Colour: pale gold. Nose: a delightful pastry shop aroma, with ferments, baker’s yeast, chalk, sweet beers and ales, and a touch of light vanilla. No noticeable wood technology interfering, which is splendid. Perhaps a hint of cheesecake. Mouth: very natural, featuring a touch of white pepper, barley, and gooseberries. As Angus mentioned as we were tasting this one together, it’s not solely about bread, though we all love bread. Slightly rough around the edges, which is quite normal. Finish: rather long with a hint of grassiness. Comments: a pleasant surprise, and it would take water well, becoming more citrusy and fresher.
SGP:551 – 85 points.

Check the index of all Cragganmore we've tasted so far