.cragganmore - 25yo

I seem to be having a weakness for refill ex-Bourbon casks lately. Where there was a period I would go for an overly sherried whisky, I have now seen the light and realised there is much more of the original spirit to be found in whiskies that have matured in an ex-whisky cask. This 25 year old Cragganmore from is exactly that. Matured in a refill American Oak cask and released in 2014 in the special release series owner Diageo had every year. Cragganmore is not a very well know single malt brand, nor is it released in large quantities by Diageo or indie bottlers, but it sure is a malt favoured by the blenders for her fruity character.

51.4% abv, €400
single malt

Nose: sweet, toffee, sweet fruit, red berries, cranberries, brambles, blackberries, red apples, overripe bananas, ripe mango, ripe pineapple, heather honey, a hint of fennel, coconut, chocolate, nougat

Palate: spicy, chilli peppers, sweet, custard, floral honey, creamy, fruit, mango, very ripe fruit, ripe bananas, fresh blueberries, coconut milk, milk chocolate

Finish: long, spicy, white pepper, sweet, creamy, nougat, milk chocolate
Mark: ++++/+ 

Conclusion: A beauty. Runner up in the Spirit of Speyside blind tasting, but I really wonder why. Don't get me wrong, the Glenfiddich 21 is a brilliant whisky and price-wise by far better affordable for my budget, but taste-wise (and the tasting during the festival was blind and therefore taste oriented), this Cragganmore is my favourite by a long shot.

.many thanks to the #dram16winners twitter tasting for this sample