Another dram I had at my dad-in-law’s place. Another one I wasn’t too impressed with ages ago, but I just had to try it again, before it was all gone. This Cragganmore is part of Murray McDavid’s Range, from the Mission Gold series to be exact. It being MMD, you’re bound for some odd finishes. This one is finished in a bourbon cask, but I don’t recall what it matured in before.

Nose:
Lots of vanilla with creme brulee, and warm sweet dough. The fresh bourbon influence is very pronounced, and I think I’m glad it hasn’t spent more time in that cask. It would have been overkill.

Taste:
The taste is very sharp and very dry at first. The dryness lingers, but the sharpness fades, luckily. After that you get lots of fresh American Oak and quite some sweet citrus.

Finish:
The finish is long and sweet, with clove and warm vanilla cream. Also, freshly baked sponge cake.

This is a rather well done dram. I liked it a lot more than I remembered. There is a slight oddity because of the finish, but that is something you can put your money on with MMD. The alcohol is more pronounced than I expected but the fresh bourbon has boosted the flavours quite a bit. Not too complex though.

Cragganmore 22, 1985-2007, Murray McDavid Mission Gold, 56.6%, € 96 at House of Whisky.

Nose: 7
Taste: 7
Finish: 8
Overal experience: 7
Price/quality: 0

Total: 29 points