{"product_id":"cragganmore-13-year-old-2003-smws-single-bourbon-cask-37-92-stem-ginger-in-syrup-speyside-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2017-70cl","title":"Cragganmore 13 Year Old 2003 SMWS Single Bourbon Cask 37.92 Stem Ginger in Syrup Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2017) 70cl","description":"\u003ch2\u003eCragganmore 13 Year Old 2003 SMWS Single Bourbon Cask 37.92 Stem Ginger in Syrup Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky (2017) 70cl\u003c\/h2\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e1 of 211 bottles produced from a single bourbon cask\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eScotch Malt Whisky Society\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewas founded in Edinburgh in 1983 by Phillip 'Pip' Hills who, while travelling around Scotland in the 1970s, fell in love with whiskies drawn straight from the cask. After he expanded his syndicate the Society was purchased by Glenmorangie PLC in 2004. In 2015, the Society was sold back to private investors. In June 2021, the private owners floated the holding company The Artisanal Spirits Company plc on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIt has a unique code system where the first number refers to the distillery and the second refers to the cask from which the bottle comes. SMWS also offers the largest range of distilleries of any independent bottler. These curiously named drams really do have something for every whisky lover!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003eTASTING NOTES\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe nose neat had the sweet dimension of lemon bonbons, wine gums, fruit candies and pineapple cubes but at the same time the scent of freshly crushed mint leaves, heather and roses. On the palate, initially hot and fruity with plenty of spice, turning into creamy soft vanilla nougat and in the finish, chopped stem ginger in syrup over cinnamon ice cream. Water released the scent of a delicate floral rose perfume combined with the rich sweet aroma of a flaky crisp honey baklava. On the taste now creamy rhubarb and ginger crème Brulee served with mini mint chocolate brownies.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003ch3\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout Cragganmore\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCragganmore uses lightly peated malt, long fermentation, unusually shaped stills (see below) and worm tubs to produce a rich, meaty new make which adds a mix of citrus, spice and fruit as it matures.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe story of Cragganmore is that of one of Scotch whisky’s greatest pioneers, John Smith. Some believe he was the illegitimate son of George Smith of Minmore and whether true or not it cannot be doubted that he was an experienced distiller who had spent time managing The Glenlivet, Dailuaine, Macallan, Wishaw and, briefly, as leaseholder at neighbouring Glenfarclas.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe chose the riverside site at Ballindalloch in 1869 for a number of reasons: spring water for process, Spey water for cooling and perhaps most significantly because the Strathspey Railway was going to run virtually outside the distillery's front door. This would allow Smith to get casks and coal up from the Lowlands and ship his new make rapidly to the blending houses.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIf location showed his skill as a businessman you only have to enter the stillhouse to see evidence of his talent as a distiller. The two wash stills are large but with very acutely-angled lyne arms which descend into worm tubs. The spirit stills are small with flat tops and a long, gently angled lyne arm sticking out of the side of the still. They too end up in worms. It is the latter pair – the only such type in Scotland – which help to generate the make’s complexity. Cragganmore was one of the few single malts to be classed as A1 by blenders.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eSmith died in 1886 and his family ran the plant until 1923 when it was owned by a partnership of the Macpherson-Grants of Ballindalloch Estate and White Horse Distillers. While the White Horse half of the shareholding passed to DCL it wasn’t until 1965 that the Macpherson-Grants sold their shareholding.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eToday it is owned by Diageo and was one of the original ‘Classic Malts’ although its importance as a contributor to blends means that a significant percentage is still used for fillings. Strangely for such a complex malt it has never achieved the same status as some of its Speyside neighbours. Some put this down to the lack of volume available for single malt bottlings (even now it only has two regular expressions, a 12-year-old and a Distiller’s Edition finish), others feel that the label design is hard to read. Whatever the truth, it remains a somewhat hidden dram.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e59.4% ABV\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e70cl\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Cragganmore","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52903830389074,"sku":"CRAG13SMWS37.92","price":179.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1052\/9737\/9666\/files\/Cragganmore13YearOld2003SMWSSingleBourbonCask37.92StemGingerinSyrupSpeysideSingleMaltScotchWhisky_2017_70cl.jpg?v=1773100830","url":"https:\/\/whiskysituation.co.uk\/products\/cragganmore-13-year-old-2003-smws-single-bourbon-cask-37-92-stem-ginger-in-syrup-speyside-single-malt-scotch-whisky-2017-70cl","provider":"Whisky Situation","version":"1.0","type":"link"}