With cooler weather and a significant uptake in COVID 19 cases across BC, the Wee Drammers have wisely moved our monthly meetings back into the virtual realm. For October Bill M. was our host. Starting around 3:30 PM, Bill delivered two different drams to each of our homes and our ZOOM gathering commenced at the usual 5:00 PM start time. Appies became the responsibility of each member. Smoked salmon, cheeses, and chocolate prevailed. For this tasting, we visited Campbeltown on the Kintyre peninsula in Scotland and Speyside, the home of the greatest number of distilleries of any of the whisky producing areas in Scotland. Roughly 50% of Scotland’s whisky emanates from Speyside.
All 10 members of the Wee Drammers gathered digitally to sample the drams and, of course, debrief world events. Given recent news, there was not a shortage of things to chat about.
Cragganmore 12 Year old (40%)
Our first sample for the evening comes from Cragganmore distillery is situated in Ballindalloch, Banffshire, Scotland.
“A sherried 12 year old single malt from Diageo’s Classic Malts range, this bottling represents Speyside and proffers a rich, slightly floral whisky with barley notes.” On the nose, we find an “aromatic and floral dram with a heather, fruit salad, creamy texture. Some may notice a scent of smoked almonds, and stemmy hay”. Palate: Cragganmore tastes rich; “hints of honey, stone fruits, chestnuts, walnuts, almonds” present themselves as do berries. A smoky dram with good length and a delicate peppery spice, Cragganmore leaves a satisfying impression in the finish.
Cragganmore 12 year old is yet another excellent sample of Scotland’s finest. As one review stated, while “Certainly not a powerhorse! (it is nevertheless) “Superb as a nightcap with a tiny splash of “Adam’s Ale”
Kilkerran 12 Year Old (46%)
By 2010 only three distilleries continued to produce whisky in Campbeltown, Scotland. This is down from a high of 30+ distilleries in operation just a few decades earlier. The decline has been credited to shoddy production, where volume produced was a higher priority than quality. One survivor, our second sample for the evening, is the Kilkerran 12 year old coming from Glengyle Distillery.
After 12 years and a bundle of “Work In Progress” bottlings, The Kilkerran 12 Yr. Old is the first core release of single malt Scotch whisky from the Glengyle Distillery after re-opening in 2004. This dram is lightly peated and non-chill filtered, and has been matured in a combination of 70% bourbon casks and 30% sherry casks. On the nose, the Kilkerran presents dominant oak followed by “toasted marshmallows and dried fruit pudding, as well as cherries, marzipan and a hint of peat”. Initially fruity with citrus notes and orange peel, “vanilla, butterscotch, honeycomb and digestive biscuits can all be tasted and enjoyed”. Finally, the finish is “velvet and smooth with lemon meringue; there’s an oiliness and a saltiness that you’d expect from a Campbeltown dram”.
Some might decide that the Kilkarran 12 year old is their new favourite dram. Nice choice Bill.
Food was an individual choice for this tasting. One sampling included brie with fig spread, lox and cream cheese, maple smoked salmon and of course dark rich chocolate.
While not quite the same as meeting face-2-face, our Wee Drammer Zoom sessions fit the bill in these unusual times. Thanks Bill
