Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release Single Speyside Malt Whisky 55,7%

Cragganmore is almost always sold at forty percent and twelve years. Every so often Diageo opens the warehouse door and lets it out at full strength — and then it becomes a different whisky entirely.

Expert description

Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky bottled at 55.7% without an age statement.

The release belongs to Diageo's annual Special Releases and was made in 4,932 bottles. Cragganmore sits at Ballindalloch between mountain and sea, in the triangle of land locally called the Garden of Scotland, where barley is a natural crop and the Spey is Scotland's fastest flowing river. It was precisely that combination of barley, water and peat from the uplands to the south that made John Smith build here in 1869. At 55.7% the herbal, malted house style stands far more clearly than in the 12 year old.

Tasting notes

Nose

Concentrated heather and honey, dried herbs and a warm resinous note. Underneath sit malt, apple skin and a trace of wood smoke.

Palate

Powerful and dense. Honey, sandalwood, malt and candied citrus, with a peppery warmth from the strength and a dry herbal edge keeping the sweetness in check.

Finish

Very long and dry, with malt, herbs, oak and a slowly fading smoked warmth.

Specifications

Name: Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release Single Speyside Malt Whisky 55,7%
Distillery: Cragganmore
Region/Country: Speyside Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
ABV: 55.7%
Size: 70 CL
Number of bottles: 4,932
Edition: Annual Release 2016
EAN no.: 5000281046082

Flavour profile

Malty · Honeyed · Herbal · Spiced · Cask Strength

Investment potential

High. The outturn is 4,932 bottles, the vintage is bottled once and never repeated, and Cragganmore appears rarely in the series. Older Special Releases have risen sharply as they left the shelves.

Did you know?

Cragganmore sits in what locals call the Garden of Scotland — a fertile triangle between mountain and sea where barley grows well. John Smith chose the spot because everything a distillery needs lay within walking distance: grain, water, peat and a railway.

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Frequently asked questions about Cragganmore 2016 Annual Release

What is the Diageo Annual Release?

An annual series in which Diageo bottles selected casks from its distilleries in limited numbers, often at cask strength and without an age statement. Each vintage is made once and never returns.

How many bottles exist?

This release ran to 4,932 bottles. Once they are gone no more will follow, since the series is never reprinted.

How does it differ from Cragganmore 12 years?

Strength changes everything. At 55.7% the herbal, malted core stands far more powerfully, and there is more concentration in both aroma and finish than in the 12 year old at 40%.

Should I add water?

At 55.7% a couple of drops can loosen the honey and herbs. Try it neat first so you can feel what the strength contributes — it is powerful but not sharp.

Why is there no age statement?

Because selection happens by cask rather than by years. The whisky may contain casks of different ages, and the blender is free to aim at a particular character.

What makes Cragganmore different from the rest of Speyside?

The worm tub condensers and the short, flat-topped pot stills. They give less copper contact and a heavier, more herbal spirit than the region's light fruity style — see the rest of the region in our Speyside Whisky.