Michael Jackson
"House Style - Aromatic, herbal. Aperitif.

CRAGGANMORE 12-year-old, 40% abv.

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Color - Golden
Nose - The most complex aroma of any malt. Its bouquet ia astonishingly fragrant and delicate, with sweetish notes of cut grass and herbs (thyme perhaps?).
Body - Light to medium, but very firm and smooth.
Palate - Delicate, clean, restrained, with a huge range of herbal flowery notes.
Finish - Long

Malt Whisky File: John Lamon & Robin Tucek

Color - Amber with pale gold highlights.
Nose - Clean, with quite good body, medium-dry, smokily-peaty, slightly creamy with a light green touch.
Flavour - Quite full-bodied, round with a hint of spice, smoky and creamy.
Finish - Quite long, clean and fresh.

CRAGGANMORE 1984, Double Matured, 40% abv
(finished in ruby port)

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Color - Pale amber.
Nose - Heather honey. Scented. Beeswax. Hessian.
Body - Firm smooth. Fuller.
Palate - Flowery. Orange Blossom. Sweet oranges. Cherries. Port.
Finish - Flowery, balancing dryness. Warming. Soothing. Connoisseurs might miss the austerity of the original - or enjoy the added layer of fruity, winey, sweetness.

Malt Whisky File: John Lamon & Robin Tucek

Color - Mid-amber with old-gold highlights.
Nose - Full, medium-sweet and honeyed and nutty with quite solid peatiness, quite dark, rich, oaky vanilla and notes of demerara sugar and mandarin oranges.
Palate - Medium-dry, quite big-bodied, rich and creamy with a nutty oakiness and quite a solid peat note.
Finish -Long, quite fruity and spicy with a dark peaty note.

CRAGGANMORE 1976, 53.8 vol, Gordon & MacPhail

Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Color - Pale gold
Nose - Fragrant, lightly peaty, grassy, nutty, herbal.
Body - Medium, very smooth.
Palate - complex, restrained, with rooty, licorice notes.
Finish - Long, more licorice, enveloping.

Malt Whisky File: John Lamon & Robin Tucek

Color - Pale to mid-amber with yellow/gold highlights.
Nose - Quite full-bodied and medium-sweet with a darl nutty peatiness.
Palate - Medium-dry, round and quite smooth with good body, a rich oakiness and a firm smokiness.
Finish -Long, clean and gently smoky with richness on the tail.

Read the ratings on other great whiskies in these excellent pocket-size publications, available now on WhiskyMan.com;
Michael Jackson's Complete Guide to Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Malt Whisky File: John Lamon & Robin Tucek