Cragganmore

Cragganmore stands near Ballindalloch in Speyside, close to the River Spey. It was founded in 1869 by John Smith, who chose the site partly for its access to the Strathspey railway line, which made it easier to bring in barley and send out whisky. Today the distillery belongs to Diageo.

The spirit is known for its complexity. Cragganmore's spirit stills have unusual flat tops, and the vapour is condensed in traditional worm tubs rather than modern condensers. Together these give a heavier, more textured spirit than many Speyside neighbours, with notes of honey, dried fruit, malt and sometimes a faint wisp of smoke.

The official core bottling is the 12 years, chosen by Diageo to represent Speyside in its Classic Malts series. The Distillers Edition, finished in port casks, is a regular companion to it, and Diageo has also issued older and cask strength bottlings through its Special Releases, such as the Special Release 2016 and the 12 Year Old Special Release 2019, plus distillery exclusive batches.

Much of Cragganmore's output goes into blends, but casks do reach independent bottlers fairly often. Buyers will find bottlings from Hunter Laing (including The First Editions), Douglas Laing (Xtra Old Particular, Old & Rare), Signatory Vintage, Duncan Taylor (The Octave), Berry Bros. & Rudd and That Boutique-y Whisky Company, many of them older single casks.