Cragganmore Special Releases 2016 / 55.7% / 0.7l

Special Releases is a limited series of Diageo whiskies offered every autumn.

It debuted in 2002 and consists of the best and rarest single malt and single grain whiskies from the group's portfolio.

The 2016 release consisted of 10 whiskies, from the oldest, 40-year-old Cambus Single Grain to the only one matched solely for its aroma and flavour profile and bottled without an age statement, Cragganmore. The latter is a marriage of spirits aged in three types of casks: refill bourbon hogsheads, reconditioned and recharred bourbon casks and European oak sherry butts. Details of the proportions mentioned above were not disclosed. The whisky was bottled at natural alcohol (55.7% abv) in an edition limited to 4,932 bottles.

Aroma: fruits from grandma's orchard, apples, pears, apricots, peaches, vanilla, caramel, marzipan, a handful of herbs, wax, a bit of oak and tobacco.

Taste: rich and well-balanced, fruit from the same orchard, honey, sugar-roasted almonds, milk chocolate, tobacco, oak, a pinch of white pepper and ginger.

Finish: long and deep, fruity sweetness broken by the bitterness of oak and a hint of spice.