Editor’s Note: This whisky was provided to us as a review sample by Diageo. This in no way, per our editorial policies, influenced the final outcome of this review. It should also be noted that by clicking the buy link towards the bottom of this review our site receives a small referral payment which helps to support, but not influence, our editorial and other costs.
The annual Diageo Special Releases always has a theme. However, the 2020 edition is the first time a theme has been repeated. Due to the popularity of the 2019 Rare By Nature collection, Diageo has released a part two. Master Blender, Dr. Craig Wilson was given this special opportunity for an encore to his carefully selected whiskies from 2019.
Signup now to make sure you don't miss out on the latest whiskey news and deals.
By Signing up, you accept and agree to our Terms of Services and you acknowledge our Privacy Statement. The Whiskey Wash is protected by reCAPTCHA, and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
The 2020 Rare by Nature has the same whiskies as the 2019 Special Releases for whisky lovers to compare. Dr. Wilson meticulously hand-selects each whisky to show another side of the distilleries chosen. The second whisky in the Rare by Nature editions I’m reviewing comes from the Cragganmore Distillery. While the 2019 edition of Cragganmore is 12-years-old, the 2020 year jumps eight years and is 20-years-old.
In 1869, John Smith convinced his landlord, Sir George Macpherson-Grant, to lease him the land to build a new distillery. Smith at the time was the former manager of Macallan, Glenlivet, and Wishaw Distilleries. He was also the leaseholder of Glenfarclas Distillery at the time. The new distillery Smith wanted to build next to the Strathspey railway line became Cragganmore.
Trending Stories
Almost 20 years later, Smith passed away and left the distillery to his family to run with Macpherson-Grant. The distillery continued to produce whisky for decades but had to stop production during WWI. Ownership changed hands multiple times after 1923, and today we know that Diageo has lovingly kept Cragganmore going.
Let’s see how the extra aging affected the Rare by Nature Special Release Cragganmore.
Latest News