Cragganmore Special Releases 2016

Tasting notes by Billy Abbott (TWE)

• Nose

  Meaty with stewed fruit – singed beef, roast pork and apple sauce – and crisp unripe pear notes as a contrast. Damp hedgerows sit behind, with a hint of white-wine vinegar. It’s quite subdued at full strength, but water brings out more fruit.

• Palate

  Hot and spicy, with a core of rich oak and green leaves surrounded by lemon sherbet and white-pepper spice. It can take a good slug of water, softening the peppery heat and revealing orange cream, brown sugar and touches of maple syrup. The sweetness and spice build as it sits, and not even water can hide the spicy heat.

• Finish

  Lingering fruity sweetness, cinnamon sticks and fruity dark chocolate with a dusting of crushed malt – both regular malt and bitter, heavily roasted chocolate malt.

• Comment

  Of this year’s Special Releases selection, this is the one that doesn’t jump out of the glass at you, requiring some thought and time. But it rewards those with a deep, rich and complex dram.