[55.7%・NAS・Bottled in 2016・Official Bottling・Limited Release]

Nose:

What a gorgeous nose, with its waxy, velvety thickness giving a glimpse to the dram’s seductive body.  Stewed fruits with a fine layer of earthy mushrooms that adds to the depth.  Creamy toffee swirling and dancing, giving a sense of great pleasure.

Palate & Finish:

Vanilla paste with a stewed fruit infusion providing an initial coating which transforms seamlessly into a clean lager note which in turn evolves into something that’s quite special, a translucent crisp pear cider note paired with a gooey salted caramel note that fluidly elevates the enjoyment.

The finishing is soft, but it gently stretches on, with sprinkles of  forrest berries and just a hint of nuttiness.

Thoughts:

The conspiracy theorist in me can’t help but wonder if Diageo is toying with the age-statement-loyalists psychologically by making their annual NAS releases absolutely superb, with the two past Clynelish offerings and now this Cragganmore..  I am not complaining though, this is just a brilliant dram.

☆☆[Highly Recommended]

-Nicholas