Cragganmore distillery is a
Scotch whisky distillery situated in the village of
Ballindalloch
Ballindalloch ( gd, Baile na Dalach) is a small village on the River Spey in Scotland.
It is known for its whisky distilleries and for Ballindalloch Castle.
In Ballindalloch itself, there are two distilleries, Cragganmore distillery and Ballin ...
in
Banffshire,
Scotland
Scotland (, ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a Anglo-Scottish border, border with England to the southeast ...
.
The distillery was founded in 1869 by John Smith on land leased from
Sir George Macpherson-Grant
Sir George Macpherson-Grant, 3rd Baronet DL (12 August 1839 – 5 December 1907) was a Scottish landowner, cattle breeder and Liberal politician.
Macpherson-Grant was the son of Sir John Macpherson-Grant, 2nd Baronet of Ballindalloch and his wife ...
. The site was chosen by Smith both for its proximity to the waters of the Craggan burn and because it was close to the
Strathspey Railway. Smith was an experienced distiller, having already been manager of the
Macallan
The Macallan distillery is a single malt Scotch whisky distillery in Craigellachie, Moray, Scotland. The Macallan Distillers Ltd is a wholly owned subsidiary of Edrington, which purchased the brand from Highland Distillers in 1999.English, ...
,
Glenlivet
Glenlivet (Scottish Gaelic: Gleann Lìobhait) is the glen in the Scottish Highlands through which the River Livet flows.
The river rises high in the Ladder Hills, flows through the village of Tomnavoulin and onto the Bridgend of Glenlivet, ...
,
Glenfarclas
Glenfarclas distillery is a Speyside whisky distillery in Ballindalloch, Scotland. ''Glenfarclas'' translates as meaning ''valley of the green grass''. The distillery is owned and run by the Grant family. The distillery has six stills which ...
and
Wishaw
Wishaw ( sco, Wishae or Wisha ; gd, Camas Neachdain) is a large town in North Lanarkshire, Scotland, on the edge of the Clyde Valley, south-east of Glasgow city centre. The Burgh of Wishaw was formed in 1855 within Lanarkshire. it form ...
distilleries.
The Strathspey Railway is now disused and forms the
Speyside Way
The Speyside Way (Doric: '; gd, Slighe Shrath Spe) is a long-distance path in the Scottish Highlands. The route begins in Buckie and ends at Newtonmore, away. There is an optional spur leading off the main route to Tomintoul, adding and of as ...
long-distance walking route.
Cragganmore was marketed by
United Distillers
United Distillers was a Scottish company formed in 1987 from combining the businesses of Distillers Company and Arthur Bell & Sons, both owned by Guinness. The company owned six single malt Scotch brands, which were relaunched as the ''Classi ...
under their
''Classic Malts'' brand. United Distillers has since become a part of Diageo.
The Whisky
The
stills used in the second distillation (the spirit still) of Cragganmore whisky are unique in having a flat top and being relatively short. The stills' shape has a definite effect on the taste and aroma (nose) of the whisky.
Laura Vernon is the current master distiller.
Reactions to Cragganmore Whiskies
The San Francisco World Spirits competition has reacted favorably to the Cragganmore 10-year (Sherry Cask) and 12-year expressions, awarding the former with a double gold medal in 2005 and the latter with two double gold, one gold and three silver medals between 2005 and 2012.
Proof66.com Ratings Summary for Cragganmore 12-Year
/ref> Wine Enthusiast, another spirit ratings
With a growing number of offerings, such as those produced by an increasing number of microdistilleries, various mechanisms have arisen to provide reviews and opinions of individual varieties of spirits. These events generally use expert panels ...
organization, rated the 12-year in its 90-95 point interval and the 10-year Sherry Cask in its 96-100 point interval.
See also
* Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Various grains (which may be malted) are used for different varieties, including barley, corn, rye, and wheat. Whisky is typically aged in wooden ca ...
* List of whisky brands
* List of distilleries in Scotland
This is an incomplete list of whisky distilleries in Scotland. According to the Scotch Whisky Association there were 138 distilleries licensed to produce Scotch whisky in the calendar year 2020.
Currently operating distilleries
Malt whisky di ...
References
{{Scottish Distilleries
Scottish malt whisky
Diageo brands
1869 establishments in Scotland
Distilleries in Scotland