OB 12yo 40% - Cragganmore

[Maccy]

A Cragganmore 12.

I savoured this whisky for a long time and then had another.

A lovely golden colour with no more than a medium body. I swished it about to release the aromas.

On the nose it was not overpowering - more fruits than flowers with orangey and lemony notes. Delicate. I was definitely thinking of being in the countryside on a summer's day sipping this as an aperitif.

A bit more muscle on the palate - a splash of pepper, a kick of sweetness and then the fruitiness returns. Some complex floral notes, and just possibly a hint of nuts, maybe roasted almonds and a touch of the cask.

At 40% it does not beat you into submission, but gently caresses you towards the bottle for a second helping - you just have to have two!

This bottle is going down fast!

[Robert]

I just tried this for the first time this evening. Pears, pears, and more pears. Light and delicate, this is what I would recommend for my friends who are convinced they don't like Scotch. Very nice stuff.

[Willie JJ]

The 12 is good and there are lots of good IBs of Cragganmore too. I generally find it to be a reliable malt.

[Maccy]

The 12 is good and there are lots of good IBs of Cragganmore too. I generally find it to be a reliable malt.

Thank Willie - I'll look around a bit.

Cheers.

Mac.

[mongo]

my recent reorganization and relocation of the whisky collection (so as to preserve it from the depredations of an 18 month old who likes to clear things off shelves and can now get to the bar) brought a bottle of cragganmore 12 to my attention. i can't remember when i last had it but i do recall that i'd started out liking it a lot early in my single malt "career" but had then gone off it for a while. i suspect the latter happened when i began to get into peaty islays and went off more delicate whiskies for a bit. so i decided to try it again tonight. with the caveat that this bottle has been sitting for some years a little below the halfway mark, here are some brief notes from tonight:

nose: light at first, a little citrussy (lemon); some depth emerges as it sits in the glass and a faint hint of marmalade; a little later some cereally notes around the edges. the nose really gets quite lovely as it goes.

palate: light body, a little watery. not as sweet as expected from the nose. the woody notes come through pretty early, making the first impression; some pepper, yes. a slight wave of fruit but it goes away quick.

finish: short-medium, mostly dry, woody, leathery notes.

verdict: at first it seems like this is verging on blend territory but there's more character than i remembered. i wish the palate could live up to the nose. perhaps at 43% or higher it would. i'm not sure if i'll replace the bottle. perhaps i'll look instead for another ob/ib bottling at a higher abv, and maybe a little older.

[AMack]

Tasting notes!


Nose: Sweetness, slight spice and wood with a dull orange-citrus note. There is also a subtle floral background.

Palate: The orange from the nose hits the tongue and the floral notes become more pronounced than they were on the nose. Sweet and slightly drying.

Finish: Medium long with a sweet, slightly oak-ish. Pleasant.

[jwise]

Nose: Fresh, crisp and intoxicating. Nothing distasteful, but everything blended together to alert the senses that you are about to drink a good whisky. I am having a hard time detecting anything coming out from the background.

Palate: Cool and refreshing as it hits the tongue, building in mass as it wakes up the sides of the mouth.

Finish: Medium-long finish, releasing a pleasant taste as the whisky goes down the gullet. Nothing bitter, nothing peaty, nothing distasteful. The entire experience is the essence of a great, malty whisky. The chest warms as the taste of a solid Speyside lingers. Hints of honey, heather and nectar on the finish.

[malt_boy]

Colour: Transparent gold.

Nose: Sherry, sweet malt, with a hint of peat/smoke, pineapple, grapefruit, banana, white chocolate

Taste: sweet malt arrival with light white wine, walnuts, almonds, blackcurrant, apple

Finish: fruity and light with smooth malt dominating. Sweet and moreish but overall not so terrific.

Comments :Easy to see why this is a good blenders malt - unoffensive, smooth and generally quality malt with nice subtle sherry influence, but not so much else going for it. Maybe another Craggy expression would change my mind.