12 Year Old Special Release 2019

Cragganmore was founded in 1869 by John Smith, a distiller of renowned skill who secured a railway siding to Ballindalloch—a strategic move that would serve the distillery for generations. This 12-year-old from the 2019 Special Release is a cask strength bottling (58.4% ABV), made from medium-peated malt (around 20 ppm) and matured in refill American oak. The result is remarkably balanced for its strength: peat, wood, and yellow fruit form the backbone, enriched by notes of pear, white pepper, and honeyed sweetness.

The nose opens with baked apple and poached pear, complemented by malty dryness and subtle smoke. On the palate, complexity unfolds—a surprising salty edge, zesty grapefruit, hints of cake and toffee, white pepper tingling across the tongue. The peat is present but restrained; this is a whisky of nuance rather than dominance. The finish is good length, deeper and more mineral as water is added.