This truly is something special. There have only been four older Cragganmores ever, and with this one coming from the guys at Wu Dram Clan, my expectations are soaring. Cragganmore is one of those distilleries that never really disappoints, but when things get special, they tend to get very special indeed.

What also helps is that it’s become increasingly rare to try something this old. It’s not impossible but newer releases rarely get to this level of maturity. Of course, with it comes the risk of things being over-matured, but since this whisky is coming from the Cask of Distinction program and WDC, I am not really scared for that.

Sniff:
Toasted oak, a light touch of honey, tangerines, apples. The oak is clearly present but subtly, and not overdone at all, even after almost four decades. There’s some candlewax going on, as well as beeswax and other slightly honeyed notes.. Some minor notes of autumn forest. Dried leaves, moss, tree bark.

Sip:
The palate is impactful with dry oak sawdust, some white pepper and brittle honeycomb. Apple and tangerines again, with honey, beeswax, some star fruit too. Dry oak, tree mulch, and it gets a little bit more syrupy with some time. Treacle, lots of fruit and lots of oak.

Swallow:
The finish veers back to the wood as it was on the nose. Massively old and gentle. Long, dry, fruity and lots of cask influence.

This whisky has mellowed over the decades to show lots of flavors and depth. It’s massively layered, with all the good stuff that you got in whiskies from yonder year. A trip to the past indeed. It’s complex and reminiscent of whiskies from even longer ago, when things moved a bit slower. The honey and wax notes are epic, with the plethora of subtle fruit notes to go with it for even more great depth. Holy shit, what a dram!

93/100

Still available, starting at € 2200

Thanks to Wu Dram Clan for sending a sample!