ralfy review 633 - Cragganmore single malt 12yo @40%vol (2017)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 11 มี.ค. 2017
- If you like my content you can buy me a 'wee dram' at / ralfy , thanks !
This video represents a personal opinion and perspective only.
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The mention of breakfast cereal made me think of an idea: "frosted single malty-o's". After all, breakfast is the most important drink of the day :-)
Just moved & unpacked this in a Classic Malts Collection boxed set also including Talisker 10 & Lagavulin 16. Look forward to a maiden dram of Cragganmore! Thanks for the preview Ralfy.
You're spot on when referencing higher strength independent bottlings. Just yesterday I purchased a Douglas Laing old malt cask 21 yr cragganmore. No chill filtration. No colorant 52.2 abv. It was on sale for $85. It's a lovely treat for myself. I need to spend more time with it for sure, but first impression was satisfying. Alway enjoy your reviews! Looking forward to next weeks Clynelish. One of my favorites. Thanks again
I absolutely love Cragganmore 12 year old, from the nose to the finish, and the wee puff of smoke in the middle (which I'm quite surprised Mr. Ralfy did not mention as it's very obvious) it cannot treat you wrong. Highly recommend!
+1 I also detect a wee hint of peat. Not sure if they use peat or have ex-peated casks, but I feel it.
Grabbed a bottle of this for $35 on clearance (no box) from Wal-Mart's liquor store of all places. Normally it's $73 or so at Total Wine. Incredibly pleased with it and it's become my favorite Speyside (so far).
At that price it's worth grabbing a case or buying them out (if you like it). You could always trade with friends, give as gift, and just drink it later :)
Try Speyburn 12
Lucky for you... USD$63 here in Singapore
I enjoy your program very much unfortunately living in Thailand cannot get hold of most single malts and when you can they are so expensive I’m being Scotland myself it breaks my heart the only thing I miss all the best Phil
Great Review as usual Ralfy. Thanks for all you do for the whisky community. Does anybody else think that this tastes and smells a lot like clynelish 14 without the wax and slightly less creamy? Craggonmore 12 seems to me... to be a less creamy, more astringent version of clynelish 14. This is my first time trying it and
it is a very decent dram for the price/value ratio. This would be
amazing at 46%, non chill filtered, and no color added.
I happen to have some Clynelish 14... Think I'll pour a dram now that the glass of Deveron 12 has gone dry.
406! That is a best for me, wrong side of the ocean.
Keep being awesome Ralfy. Love it if you would try the Bruichladdich PC 10 2nd. Quite excellent. Great value!
one of my favorites.find it so similar to old pulteney..
loved this review got a taster bottle as part of classic malts collection can't wait to try it!
Watched you review on Smokey Joe and tried it. Love lots of peat and at $38 US a bottle a week is not bad at all. You were spot on. Thanks.
The Cragganmore 12 is a dram we're yet to give a go. Think it's about time we did! Sláinte Ralfy :-)
Just bought a bottle for my Dads mates 70th I bought it because I know it’s good very drinkable will change how you see whiskey
I did a side by side with Clynelish 14 and Compass Box Spice Tree. It was a very intesting comparison, while the Clynelish 14 is older than any of the components of Spice tree, the latter tasted 'darker'. Stronger cinnamon and more caramelised notes in the spice tree. In Clynelish 14 I tasted fresh ginger for example, in the spice tree it tasted more caramelised, more like preserved ginger in a syrup.
. . . that is the added staves influence showing in the ST !
Ralfy I might have missed this but will you do food pairings with whisk(e)y? Seeing as how you mentioned meal pairings with this one.
Hi Ralfy and other malt aficionados.
I have been very narrow minded and as i love peated stuff i have bought a fair amount of single and blended malts and for example i can tell if its good or not and what the nose and taste gives.
But.. The big aha moment came when i tasted Bunnahabhain Toiteach vs Bunnahabhain Moine and Bunnahabhain Ceobanach. At that point i begun to understand more and notice nuances in the same distillate when presented in different packages.
What i wanted to say is dont just pour one glass, pour 2 or 3 of different malts and see what you get.
It’s as smooth as the late frummer suits!
A lovely dram. I love my peat monsters, but 'The Big Rock' is a perfect apéritf
Interesting! you should talk more about mixing water, and why you can't re-balance the mix with additional whisky
Ralfy, I was waiting for Cragganmore 12 review for quite a while, and I've been watching you since around year 2011. Healthy re-reviews of popular yet quality stuff are always in high demand. That being said, please do Laphroaig Quarter Cask - long overdue! Greetings from Lithuania, and please look it up if you don't know this country!
Liudas Nastopka ... if you have been "watching since 2011" then you must understand that Ralfy does not review NAS whisky!
Yes, as Lala says, ralfy would not review the Laphroaig QC as iit is NAS. My opinion is that I bough a couple of bottles when it first came out and was very impressed. Then I bought another bottle when they had changed the artwork on the canister slightly and found it very disappointing. I have since sampled it a few times and have not changed my mind. If you come across the original first bottlings of QC, grab them, they were really good. Similer to the 10 YO but more peat smoke punch. The later bottlings have a slight sulfur flavour and young spirit burn.
Seems like quarter cask could be a viable exception, after all, the meaning of years is completely different.
Clyenlish 14. Simply delicious. They have a new style canister now. I'm looking forward to the review....
I just wish that Diageo would be a bit more creative and bottle more than one expression of this classic malt.
Reb Mordechai like very much this whisky
There is a also a Distiller's Edition!
I just got a sample pack with Lagavulin 16yo, Talisker 10yo, and Craggmore 12yo so of course, before I drink them I had to see if Ralfy reviewed them!!!!
Things like telling use Cragganmoore means big rock, those things really stick with me.
Hello Ralfy...A thought. As an addition to some of your more "instructional" malt moments (e.g., Masterclass series), would you consider showing us examples of malts with the different characteristics? For example, in this video you mentioned that it (Craggenmore) had an abrupt finish...Stating or comparing a whisky that had a long finish would give an opportunity for specific "field research" on our end. I HAVE heard you do that from time to time and was thinking maybe a a specific video or run of them might be in order? That having been said, I ALWAYS learn something from your videos and I thank you kindly for doing them.👍
. . . I will have a think about it !
Ralfy have you tried Fettercairn Fior? I really enjoy it for its peat and nuttiness. Too bad about the color...same owners as Dalmore,right? But it is 42.3% and unchillfiltered. Back to Cragganmore - love the sour/bitterness of it. This is perhaps the least expensive age stated apart from glen moray and Talisker here in Seoul. It's one of those ones you know you'll eventually buy again. I think my time is up!
Thanks,
Mark
Hi Whisky Whistle. Ralfy won't be reviewing the Fior as it's a NAS. You are the first person I've heard that has something positive to say about the fettercairn. Count tourself lucky that you can get the Glen Moray in Seoul. They don't sell it anywhere here in Israel.
I've made plenty of purchases which I've later regretted, one of them being Cragganmore 14 (2010 bottling) which I found rather dull and lifeless. Took your advice about experimenting by adding water, it has ended up rescuing a whisky that otherwise would have just ended up collecting dust in my drinks cabinet. Cheers!
Great comment! I think that even some experienced malt mates misunderstand and underappreciate what the water can do. Too many people are just dogmatic about bottled strength. Sure, not every whisky will improve, but the potential is great.
Ralfy have you sampled any spirit from newish distilleries like wolfburn and abhainn dearg? And if so what are your thoughts?
. . . yes, modern new-make tends to be too cleanly produced, the better distillers take risks !
Would it make a good whisky highball (whisky and soda)?
I've only been able to sample independently bottled Cragganmore once (21yr John Milroy-BB&R cask #2882) but it was a stunner. Worlds apart from the official bottling but in all the right ways. I now refuse to buy the official 12yr because I know just how good Cragganmore is with proper presentation!
I picked up a Cragganmore Distiller's Edition back when I first started drinking scotch. It was my favorite whisky for a few years, before I branched out and tried more things. Now I tend to like heavily peated brands more, but Cragganmore deserves more love than it gets. Thanks Ralfy for the review! On a separate note, can you recommend something that has a strong note of Iodine like the Laphroaig Quarter Cask?
Not the person you asked but I'll answer anyway.
Try ralfy's 'whisky of the year' Ardbeg 10
Acribo Thanks, I'll try that. As it turns out, I just got a bottle of Corryvreckan as a gift. I'll start with that and try the 10 first chance I get.
Oh... been wanting to try Corryvreckan.
Just while watching the video I was having a glass of the clynelish 14yo OB (which i bought 1 month ago) and was thinking to myself: This is some good whisky, might be worth a ralfy review! Funny story ;-)
Yesterday I've just found this Cragganmore 12yo at the supermarket (FR) for 30,90€ a bottle. As I've got two Diageo 3€ voucher from "christmas whisky operation". I've opportunely bought 2 bottles for 55,80€... Want to taste&compare it soon with Glencadam 10yo, Old Pulteney 12yo and Glenmorangie 10yo.
Is there a searchable list of all of His reviews? Would be a good reference...
m.ralfywhisky.webnode.be/ralfy/whisky/
great review
ralfy - have you tasted a whisky from every currently open scottish distillery and if NOT, which ones do you still want to try?
. . . not rushing to review some obscure malts, some are not that good !
The problem with Cragganmore is that master blender is really doing his/hers job and while picking independent bottlings, you will always miss something. My reminiscent of official bottling are mainly grapes (icing sugar) and cappuccino. Picked up a bottle of Old Malt Cask 16YO (Frank Znort Quartet Anniversary - for Norwegian market exclusively I believe - www.vinmonopolet.no/vmpSite/Land/Skottland/Cragganmore-Frank-Znort-Quartet-15th-Anniversary-Old-Malt-Cask/p/424201) and yes, it was more sharp, some nuances were more separated (like better visibility in a high pressure day :D), but it was lacking totally boldness and intensity of official bottling. It was single cask (second fill sherry hogshead), and it was not possible to get the intensity from the first fills, I’ve bought two bottles - second one gave away as a gift.
Saw the mention about St Paddy’s day - there’s some new kid on the block I like to mention - West Cork Distillers - “Holstein looking” stills but that’s their spirit - not sourced, and artisan presentation which, I suppose, will meet your fervent approval Ralfy ;) (www.westcorkdistillers.com/west-cork-irish-whiskey/12-year-old-ltd-release-single-malts/west-cork-12-year-old-single-malt-sherry-cask-finish/).
Does anyone else get a strong wood note in the middle that lasts until just before the finish?
do you use tap water or do you use a particular mineral water? some say that different types of water/brands makes a notable difference to the taste of whisky. any chance of a side by side comparison of a malt with tap water vs. mineral?? Cheers
. . . tap water, local water is good.
ralfystuff cheers Ralfy, I will stick to the midlands finest tap water. Appreciate how you avoid all BS and snobbery with your very informative vlogs.
If water tastes good from the tap, the well, a bottle, then it has the right balance of minerals. We should trust our inner instruments. They can be quite accurate.
decent stuff, reasonable price
Is this very different than Glenmorangie 10? The tasting notes sounds similar.
Yes, different. I like both. IMHO Glenmo is better value, but I bought my Cragg12 on the cheap, so I'm enjoying it.
If you want a nice lil experience, pop a drop or two of Octomore into a dram of Cragganmore, you’ll thank me!
Just watched this whilst waiting to set off to Edinburgh. Another excellent review.
Hoping, you got a bottle of, Springbank 2006 11 y.o. Local Barley to review?
Will search a few well known Whisky Stores, for a bottle for myself, though I don't think I will find a bottle.
. . . Spring 11 LB in the queue-for-review !
Hey there ralfy! Been watching for a while, love your stuff! I need help with a bit of a project. This year I want to try and match a whisky to each season. I had ardbeg 10 this winter, and am stuggling to pick one for this Spring. I want my spring whisky, ideally, to be light, fresh, frangrant, and floral. Any suggestions for an afforable single malt (or two or three) that would properly represent the season? Thanks from my family farm in Washington State! -Nick
. . . Isle of Arran 10yo
for example highland park 12, glenmorangie 10
another posible dalwhinie 15
Thanks!
Thank you! Going to give it a go :)
Interesting how this goes down 2 points from the first review, and you make it sound spectacular, and even say the lack of finish is compensated by other things.
Great stuff Ralfy! With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, I was wondering will there by any Irish whiskey reviews coming up? Cheers!
. . . I'm thinking about it !
ralfystuff how about writers tears red head, or what has happened to tyrconnel ?
ralfystuff ... Please review Redbreast 21, if possible. Cheers!
. . . what a good idea !
Ralfy - I was searching for Millburn and couldn't find any review. I know it's fairly rare, but I bought a bottle at auction (to enjoy).
If you have access to this brand could you give us a review? Thank you my friend. Keep up the good work.
. . . yeasty, sour and temperamental, but also characterful with age and a good cask. If I buy one,I will review it, it's a good collectors item.
its re-review?
You still got that bottle of Irn Bru on the closet I see? :p We frequently bring home to The Netherlands lots of bottles of that because they don't sell it here :-)
. . . it's made from girders !
It's good to ge a different perspective. Cragganmore is a highly regarded single malt, considered one of the best and the more unusual of the Speysiders. I found it very disappointing. It does have that typical Speysideer fruity and floral start but the flowers are old fading flowers just beginning to go rancid. There is a lot of graininess and nuttiness there, a bit of dry pecan perhaps? Finish was very reminiscent of dry German Riesling with old dry stale herbs. I agree that this is complex but I did not enjoy the experience.
How come you sometimes pour 3-4 teaspoons of water into 43% whisky then and dilutes it to 35%?
. . . to release the complexity of flavour !
Well yes I know that but my point was why do you complain when the whisky is at 40% when you apparently want it at even lower strength?
Thank you! He gave the whiskey a mediocre mark because of the low alcohol content and then kept adding more and more water. I love Ralfy, but this kind of behavior is difficult to understand! Maybe he decided that it didn't really make it as a whiskey so it might be better to turn it into a wine?
@@rolfgris5931 because when you add water in the glass, the flavor is released into the glass. When they dilute before bottling, flavor is released into the air and is lost.
where's the Clynelish 14 :(
You gave it 87 earlier. Or have I got it wrong? The same as Clynelish 14.
. . . not much change over the years !
Clynelish 14 is so so so much better than Cragganmore 12. It deserves a higher score. I'm looking forward to Ralfy's rereview.
A store nearby has the 15 yr JW Green bottled at 43% abv for $50...They also have the 12 yr Cragganmore bottled at 40% abv for $62.
Hmm...
Russel's reserve 10yo (wild turkey) bourbon is amazing, would love a review
Btw Ralfy, do you know some or even speak Gaelic? :)
. . . not a lot !
Ralfy, may I ask what your profession is?
That is correct. He has a very important and high powered job with hundreds of people under him.
Obsidian Guile People are just dying to work with him!
I heard that they wanted to name a street after Ralfy in Glasgow. However, they realized that no one crosses Ralfy and lives.
. . . it would be a dead-end street, one way and no parking !
It makes Johnnie Walker Green Label delicious! :)
too bad new version of green at my local shops costs 30% more than 15 year old glenfiddich... give me a break haha! In bucks it's like way up there 60$ ... some malts that are cheaper well known overpriced but excellent oban 14, macallan 12 XD I just can't handle this pricing makes me laugh.
If I only had a clue what the difference between all these colours actually meant :( .
CichlidAsh Johnnie Walker Green Label is a 15 year old blended (or vatted if you prefer older terminology) malt whisky.
I picked this up for less than JW Green and I like it. I have to wonder if it makes JW Green redundant and unnecessary 😎
not first. one of the best malts
hope you did not mean 'zippy' out of 'Rainbow' in the taste notes lol
Cheers
So if you didn't add the water Ralfy, it seems the finish would've been more pronounced perhaps.
. . . no, the form was just finish-short, neat or diluted.
Interesting. Thanks for the insight Ralfy.
decent drink
If they could just make it 46% non chill-filtered and drop the fake color and I would buy cases of this.
It is a lovely whisky, but could be better and could also avoid giving the buyer a feeling of being cheated out of punch, flavor and smell.
Maltmark in thumbnail... maybe a spoiler alert next time ;)
how about a woodford reserve review some time in near future, ralfy?
Cragganmore 12 is my greatest dissapointment in my malt journey, i would not buy again , dont waste your time go Arran, Deanston ,Glenallchie,Glendronach, Glengoyne, even Irish- Redbreast
No thumbs down!! Yet... :o)
there's some hater here... one down vote appeared. Hater with channel subscription.
There are 2 down votes now. Who knows what their motive is? I have disagreed with Ralfy over the Glenlivet 18 which I believe did not merit a high score and the Caol Ila 18 which I believe deserved a far higher score being one of the most delicious official bottlings single malts you can buy. I have never voted Ralfy down though. He is so much more than the score.
Glen Grant 10 year old please ralfy.
I agree. The 10 YO is great but the 16 YO (which I believe is being discontinued) is stunning.
Reb Mordechai i think that 10 years old is overrated. like but i dont understand murray score
That's why it would be interesting to get Ralfy's take on it.
I bought a Jiim Murray year book once and that was once too many. I now completely ignore everything Jim Murray writes. I have no idea what score he gave the Glen Grant and I don't care. I can only tell you from my experience it is a whisky range which is very much under the radar outside of Italy where it is mainly sold. I wrote a review of the 10 YO verses the 16 YO here:
rebmordechaireviews.blogspot.co.il/2015/08/glen-grant-10-and-16-year-old.html
I think the 10 YO is one of the best Speysiders in that price range and the 16 YO (now replaced with an 18 YO I believe) was superb. I would consider them very underated and cannot understand why Ralfy has not reviewed any of them.
yes but in the online shoppiing put the murray score and view the score. i don´t understand is a good whisky but not a one of the best whisky
hello ralfy.
instead of repeating same whiskies why dont u review untouched ones like jura 21
Ralfy reviewed 4 Jura already, Super, 12, 15, and 18.
Brian D
my point was that he has already reviewed cragganmore 12,clynelish 14...so exactly same versions
hace unas semans se lo comente, ralfy tiene en mente la revisión del jura 21
que te parece Sehraj el jura 21?
Alvaro Brito
sorry
english please
Ain't the CRRAGGENMOORE the most scottish of names XD
Not first.?
Lack of finish? This whisky has one of the longest finishes a 12-year old malt can grant...I don’t agree on this one, dearest Sir Ralfy
third
First?
first
85 is a great offense for this magnificent single malt.
I'll never be first..
Juraj Hura Good scotch doesn't rush to be first... Why should you? What are you? Vodka?
I was first once, completely by chance. Chin up!
lol, what a comparison :D
Juraj Hura... what's a 68?
Juraj Hura and in this world of No Age Statement Whiskies, nobody is first! Cheers!
First
First?
.
. . . Verified as First !
.