Cragganmore 38 years 1985 - 2023 Cask of Distinction for Hong Kong Whisky Fellows and Wu Dram Clan

This deep amber Cragganmore from a fine Hogshead is a classic example of this famously complex malt.

Tasting note

The mellow nose opens with fruity hints of baked apple, redcurrent jelly and Sevile orange marmalade with vanilla fudge. The more savoury base notes are faintly leathery, with scented saddle soap and balsa wood.

The smooth texture annouces a sweet and fruity taste that is unusually floral mid-palate, hinting at ripe yellow plums and parma violets, with a creamy note suggesting rich toffee. 

The long finish is lightly drying and faintly spicy.

More information

Legendary distiller John Smith made Cragganmore the first distillery on Speyside to have its own railway siding, sending whisky trains to the market.

What others say about it

Peter Krause:

I am very very keen on sampling this rare Cask of “Dis/Ex-tinction” as I love Cragganmore, which is herbal Speyside healing in its youth and becoming earthy, complex, waxy and malty sweet with fruit orchard vibes from Southern Tyrolia. Such age in Cragganmore is really rare. I had many around 30 (SMWS and others like the G&M ‘CASK’ series), let’s see how the older brother performs:

Waxy cellared apples meet honeycomb, pronouncedly sweet on maltiness, a fresh bowl of crispy Cornflakes, kumquats and physalis on the side – a great first whiff, typical, a garden in bloom with mineral white wine echoes. Then the earthy mediterranean herbs (amazing), pineapple, pears, gooseberry, coconut, salted caramel, vanilla and citrussy elements (lime, tangerine) chime in, even kiwi and ripe banana later, pottery barn, all very subtle, a watercolour style of aromatic painting in which sweet and sour waxiness stays the central theme – but sooo much more on the edges. Very good balance too because the oak renders discrete spicy counterparts to the pleasant play and a ‘mossiness’ gives freshness – it almost touches upon all elements of the aroma wheel. Grüner Veltliner and Chablis mixed up in a sour “Weinschorle” (which I occasionally love on warm days, but I go Riesling mostly). What a complexity in this waxy ole’ boy! Give it time...

It arrives sweeter as expected on the palate, maximum maturity and more focus on the fruit now. Soon the waxiness kicks in, there is a lot going on in my mouth, a journey through the sweet, the fruity, the sour, the spice and the umami. Wow! Hard to grasp, as it is tightly-knit in its enormous complexity. No water necessary. Everyone will find something to like. A great old malt, not tired yet refined, just right, no muscular primary bullsh... - refill cask joy at its best.

The finish is pure noblesse, a thousand colours on my canvas, soft echoes wafting back, quaffable, long and moreish. It rounds off an amazing experience with an underrated Speysider in perfection. Exceptional. Not to miss!

Such drams are becoming rare, and therefore I am glad that some malt knights unearth casks like this one for the friends of secondary and tertiary aromas from way back. Great pick.

Score: 93+