Cragganmore

John Smith, founder of Cragganmore, was quite literally one of the most towering figures in Speyside whisky history – a man of extraordinary stature who had already gained experience as manager at Macallan, Glenlivet, and Glenfarclas. In 1869, he built his own distillery on leased land near Ballindalloch, connecting it as the first Speyside distillery ever to have its own railway siding on the Strathspey Railway.

This logistical innovation proved so successful that in 1987, Cragganmore was chosen as the Speyside representative for Diageo's prestigious "Classic Malts" range – ahead of strong competition, most notably Mortlach. With Cragganmore 12 Year Old, you will find the core bottling of this elegant Speyside classic in our selection.

Cragganmore 12 year old

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Content: 0.7 Liter (€48.56 / 1 Liter)

Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days

€33.99 UVP: €35.99 (5.56% saved)

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Cragganmore 12 year old

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Content: 0.2 Liter (€94.95 / 1 Liter)

Available, delivery time: 3-6 business business days

€18.99

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Cragganmore Distillers Edition

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Content: 0.7 Liter (€77.13 / 1 Liter)

Available, delivery time: 1-3 business days

€53.99 UVP: €58.99 (8.48% saved)

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Cragganmore 1990/2021 - 30 Year Old - #4230549 - Octave Premium (Duncan Taylor)

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Natural Colour

Content: 0.7 Liter (€938.56 / 1 Liter)

Available, delivery time: 3-6 business business days

€656.99 UVP: €694.90 (5.46% saved)

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Why did John Smith need his own railway carriage?

John Smith was not only an experienced distiller – he was also a man of extraordinary size. According to legend, he simply did not fit into the regular passenger carriages of the Strathspey Railway, whose own siding he had built in 1869 as the first anywhere on Speyside for his newly founded distillery. If he wanted to accompany his whisky on its journey, he had to squeeze, with some effort, into the guard's van instead. After Smith's death, first his brother, then his son continued running the distillery.

How did Cragganmore beat out Mortlach?

In 1923, Cragganmore passed to the newly founded Cragganmore-Glenlivet Distillery Co. Ltd., part of the White Horse group; in 1965, the Distillers Company Limited (DCL) took over all White Horse distilleries. When United Distillers sought a Speyside representative for the new "Classic Malts" range in 1987, Cragganmore faced stiff competition – above all from Mortlach in Dufftown. In the end, the round, layered, lightly smoky character of Cragganmore's malt won out, and it remains regarded as particularly typical of the Speyside region to this day.

The most popular bottling at a glance

1. Cragganmore 12 Year Old
The official core bottling as the Speyside representative of the Classic Malts.
Taste: Round, balanced, delicately fruity with a hint of smoke.
Serving suggestion: An elegant introduction to the classic Speyside style.

Facts and figures

Address: Ballindalloch, Banffshire. Founded: 1869 by John Smith. Owner: Diageo. Range: Classic Malts (Speyside, since 1987).