Review #24: SMWS 37.82 - Curious Complexity - 13 Year Old Cragganmore

SMWS 37.82 - Curious Complexity - 13 year old Cragganmore

This is from a single refill hogshead cask distilled October 2002. As a note, I thought that I was swapping for the standard Cragganmore 12 but I am pleased to be trying out their cask strength IB. 

Speyside - 13 Year - NCF - NCA - Sample (Price at the local, I'd guess $100 - 140) - 58.9%

Color - Yellow Gold

Nose - Vanilla and dairy come right to the front. Some heat on the nose. I get some hints of new wood. Herbs de provence. This nose seemed to evolve each time I went at it. Some lavender in there as well.

Taste - This palate is a little hard to nail down. On one hand, there is some sweetness, fruit tarts, lemon, cream and toffee. Light mouthfeel for the high ABV. I tried marrying some water with the whisky in my mouth but this just made the palate go limp.

Finish - Medium - Herbal, sweet, lemon, with some bitterness like if you zest a lemon too deeply

Overall - 5 - I really enjoyed the nose on this one. One of those evolving, complex and hard to pin down noses. However, the palate and the finish don't live up to the nose. The palate didn't have much going on and had a weak feel to it. The finish was also disappointingly short for the ABV. It maybe that these sweet, lemony and delicate scotches are just not my style, but since I have only had a couple, I will continue to try them.

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Rating system is price influenced as it is based on my shopping decisions when buying a bottle.

10 Best in Show

9 Great Dram for Special Occasions

8 Worthy of consistent spot in my collection

7 Worth picking up a bottle if in the mood

6 I would buy a bottle if it went on sale

5 I would drink it happily if offered

4 I would drink it if offered on the rocks

3 Maybe some soda will make this potable

2 I'll Pass

1 Toilet cleaner