Glenmorangie A Midwinter Night’s Dram 43%
Bourbon & Oloroso sherry
Code: L65978
Btl: 2015
Tasted: Nov 2015
The nose is quite soapy and oily with rye-like herbal sherry and intense, gritty tannins. The richness of the malt balances the dryness of the cask well though.
The palate is sweet and herbal with plenty of clean, softer, slightly toffee’d sherry oak. Full but relatively straightforward. A little dry and tannic with lingering spices and hints of chocolate and coffee. Just like nose, the richness balances. In conclusion: I can’t say I’m getting much Highland character here, but as sherry monsters go, it’s ok.
Glenmorangie Astar 57.1%
Tasted: Jan 2010
The nose opens with the oak, bringing sweet vanillins to the table followed by and an unsweetened doughy/ spiciness with hints of pine, fern and menthol, finally some caramel-minty-honey notes become apparent. A lovely mix of oak and barley.
Like the nose the palate wallows in oak, but a big sugar and barley bit lessens and softens the vanillins. Lovely depth it has to be said but the oak comes fighting back and becomes very bitter and leaves with some delightful spicy nuances.
With water the nose becomes a touch perfumed but ramps up the oak vanillins. Whilst on the palate it is not so bitter now and the barley comes out to play. Interesting! So this is the essence of Glenmorangie huh? It’s fine if you like oak (which I do), and I have to agree with Jim Murray when he says that the nose initially feels like all the sweet bits have been removed from the gristy/ doughy mix. Worth trying for the experience!
Glenmorangie Dornoch 43%
A blend of ex-Bourbon oak and lightly peated spirit matured in ex-Amontillado casks
Travel Retail
Tasted: Dec 2014
A dense and honeyed nose with apricot, white fruit and summer barley, Beautifully fragrant with hints of heather and mint. The aromas become a bit soapy with time and hints of juniper and rhubarb appear.
Initially the palate is a little cardboardy with spice and heavy caramel. Hints of honey and heather come through on the middle. Good citric finish with lingering herbs, green fruit and toffee. In conclusion: It has its positives (nose and finish) and its negatives (palate)
Glenmorangie Signet 46%
Blended with some spirit that has been made using heavily roasted chocolate malt.
Code: L11 271
Btl: 2011
Tasted: Feb 2012
Beautifully fragrant aromas of orange, tangerine, mature honey and a gentle kiss of oak, which adds some divine chocolaty spicy moments before the Bourbon-like notes really take hold. A seriously sumptuous nose with a hint of bitter chocolate and burnt wood.
The palate is soft, succulent and wonderfully moist citrus begins the proceeding, followed by some gentle honey, chocolate and crunchy barley. The oak builds just like it does on the nose coating the mouth in a toffee’d veneer, but the granity notes balance. Lovely length, again with the oak vanillins in the ascendancy. A beautiful malt with plenty of mature honey along with a lovely fresh edge.
Glenmorangie Signet 46%
Re-Tasted: Jan 2013
A rich and spicy nose of dried fruit and sherry spice. Some youthful spirit notes cut through along with an almost Irish pot still graininess. Then the creamy American oak emerges bring some lightly tropical apricot and banana. A seriously interesting nose.
The palate opens with those almost pot still grainy spices, dried raisinated fruit, sultana and citrus peel. Beneath lurks some tropical fruit trying to break the oak stranglehold, but the wood holds. Good spicy finish, again a little youthful spirit note comes through, but the Bourbon notes linger. In conclusion. A lovely malt with the emphasis firmly on the wood,
Glenmorangie Signet 46%
Code: L14 069
Btl: 2014
Tasted: Dec 2014
Moist, rich fruit cake aromas with hints of violets, heather, herbs and some almost herbal rye-like notes. Hints of toasted oak, chocolate, vanilla and cherry follow.
The palate is soft and toffee’d with sherried fruit cake and dusty spice. It becomes quite woody. chocolaty and tannic on the middle but there’s also some pleasant dark chocolate as well. Long with some nippy herbal rye-like spices.
Glenmorangie Companta (Private Edition) 46%
5th Release in the Private Editions Series. It’s a marriage of whiskies finished in Clos de Tart Grand Cru wine casks and sweet fortified wine casks from Côtes du Rhône.
Tasted: Dec 2014
A lovely nose of dusty spice and chunky, herbal Oloroso. Hints of date, walnut and dark treacle come through. Very clean.
The palate opens with the soft, dark treacle coating the mouth before the moist plumy fruitcake and walnut notes arrives. Lovely dusty spice on the middle. Good length with lingering dried fruit and spice. In conclusion: Relatively straightforward sherry monster, but it’s clean and it has a good depth.
Glenmorangie Tusail (Private Edition) 46%
6th Release in the Private Editions range, made using traditionally floor-malted Maris Otter barley
Tasted: Jan 2015
A chunky, deep and dusty nose with sweet barley, pollen heavy flowers, honey, light coffee and hints of heather. Late notes of tangerine and white fruit.
A lovely mixture of floral and set honey on the palate. Full and rounded with sweet-ish, dusty barley with hints of hop-like herbs and malt. Not overly complex but pleasantly deep. Long and gorgeously smooth with acacia and hyacinth notes and that hop-like herbal note lingering. In conclusion: A lovely robust, deep whisky with a delightful finish. What more can you say?
Glenmorangie Milsean (Private Edition) 46%
7th release in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series. Finished for two-and-a-half years in 154 toasted ex-Portuguese-red-wine barriques
Tasted: Feb 2016
Aromas of buttery oak, fleshy apricot, thyme and black pepper. With time hints of barley, heather and sweet rose petals, but the distinct first fill American oak is dominant.
The palate is full and very oaky with the buttery American oak cloaking the apricot and barley. Slightly herbal on the middle but the oak is overly intrusive. Long and oaky! A little crisp citrus adds some balance. Lingering rose petal notes. In conclusion: Underneath all that oak the spirit feels quite young, although the youthful intensity sort of makes it work quite well.
Glenmorangie Original 10 year old 40%
Tasted: Nov 2011
A soft, slightly soapy nose with a pleasant freshness along with a citrus twist.
The palate is again slightly on the soapy side. Straightforward (or innocuous – take your pick) with hints of spice and bitter oak on the finish.
Glenmorangie Original 10 year old 40%
Code: L14 239
Btl: 2014
Tasted: Dec 2014
Aromas of dusty barley and pollen laden flowers to begin with, followed by herbal rye-like notes. Young and exuberant with hints of green fruit and light, creamy oak.
The palate is soft and lightly honeyed with toffee, barley and citrus. Quite herbal on the middle with a young rye-like character. Good length with plenty of citrus and gentle spice.
Glenmorangie 12 year old ‘Port Wood Finish’ 43%
Tasted Oct 2006
Quite a floral nose, delicate and subtly spicy with the ‘morangie fruit lying beneath.
A pleasant depth with a touch of herbs and coffee. Smooth and creamy on the palate with the delicate spice and red fruit balanced by the rich, honeyed ‘morangie fruit. Good depth and a lovely spicy finish.
Glenmorangie 12 year old ‘Madeira Finish’ 43%
Tasted Oct 2006
Although it wasn’t as heavily casked influenced as I remember, it was distinctly so-so on the nose with an initial burst of sulphur.
On the palate it was quite oily and waxy, not all together pleasant with a bit of an evanescent character. Delicate cask influence, with a good depth and quite a pleasant spicy complexity.
Glenmorangie 12 year old ‘Sherrywood Finish’ 43%
Tasted: Dec 2000
Quite an aromatic nose of honeyed fruit and sherry wood spices.
The palate is rich and smooth with plenty of toffee’d fruit and sherry wood spices.
Glenmorangie 12 year old ‘Sauternes Finish’ 43%
Tasted Oct 2006
Apparently this has spent four and a half years maturing in Sauternes casks and according to the advertising blurb has a remarkable botrytis character to it. Well if it has I certainly couldn’t find it. The nose was ruined by sulphur, although after it dissipated it showed a pleasant depth of honeyed, syrupy fruit and malt on the nose.
On the palate it is quite luscious with liquid honey fruits, vanilla, Madeira cake, coffee, mature fruit with a tangy citrus edge. But oh dear! Sulphur alert! I am amazed that the powers that be at Glenmorangie have released this. I know that there are a lot of fans of Glenmorangie who will probably over look this fault, but I’m afraid that I can’t and especially with a price tag of around £50!
Glenmorangie 12 year old ‘Burgundy Wood Finish’ 43%
Tasted: Apr 2005
A clean, crisp, winey nose of dried fruit, figs, cinnamon, shows a huge amount of sweet juicy fruit and then comes the bourbon oak to balance that out.
Dry on the palate, silky, soft and smooth with waves of sweet berry fruits. A pleasant, slightly tart middle with a lovely length and lots of pinot fruits on the finish.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban ‘First Edition’ 46%
Bourbon/ Port
Tasted: Oct 2009
A deep, aromatic nose of spicy red fruits floating above a classic bed rock of honeyed ‘morangie fruit. Lovely complexity with hints of earth, granite and a suggestion of peat.
Silky and rich on the palate again beginning with the spicy red fruit, followed by honeyed barley and mouth filling fruit. Quiet piquant alcohol and firm oak on the middle, lovely length with a slight creamy texture and a suggestion of peat. The red fruits return on the finish with a slight perfumed after taste
Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban ‘Third Edition’ 46%
Tasted Dec 2014
A lovely nose of mocha coated Oloroso dried fruit and liquorice. Lightly herbal with hints of Assam tea, prunes and plum. The fruit has a delightful syrup coating and becomes quite jammy with time as some dusty, sweet spices come through.
The palate opens with the soft and jammy red fruit, followed by hints of toffee and chocolate. The rich dried fruit comes through on the middle but the syrup coated fruit is the focal point. Long and mouth-watering with cleansing citrus and stony notes.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban ‘Third Edition’ 46%
Re-Tasted: Feb 2015
Winey aromas of red cherry, raspberry and prunes in a light syrup – tinned fruit salad!. With time hints of malt, straw, manure and rye-like herbal notes appear.
The palate is soft and winey with a touch of syrup coated raspberry and redcurrant with some light tannin and straw. It becomes quite sweet. The finish is sweet and a little floral but the combination of alcohol and tannins does dry the finish a little.
Glenmorangie 14 year old Quinta Ruban ‘Fourth Edition’ 46%
Re- Tasted: May 2021
A rich, dark, juicy and malty nose with a combination of dark and milk chocolate and plenty of earthy and herbal dried red fruit. A little heavier on the port finish than I remember. Subtle tannins, vanilla and honey appear along with apricot and toasted oak. The port notes become quite fragrant with time.
The palate is full of sweet, dried red fruit and malt. Again, it feels heavier on the port finish. Subtle barley, apricot and vanilla notes on the middle. The soft tannins build as do the nippy spices and chocolate. Long, juicy red fruit finish.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Nectar d’Or ‘First Edition’ 46%
Bourbon/ Sauternes
Tasted: Feb 2011
A deep, edgy and quite gristy nose. Initially it is a tad soapy with an almost old fashioned shaving soap quality. The honeyed sweetness from the finishing cask builds and a slight white floral top note appears along with a touch of white pepper and cinnamon. With time some dried grape and buttery oak puts in an appearance. A pleasant nose once one has got past the soapiness.
The palate is full and juicy with honey, vanilla custard and buttered pop corn notes. Some barley kicks in on the middle and the slightly piquant alcohol balances the sweetness. Crisp citrus and green fruits lead into a mouth watering finish. Very well balanced on the palate, beginning quite sweet but finishing dry and crisply.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Nectar d’Or ‘Third Edition’ 46%
Bourbon/ Sauternes
Tasted: Mar 2013
Now those aromas have put on some weight! Broad, herbally, sweet wine cask notes dominate. Hugely woody but with a soft caramel veneer. With time it becomes quite sweet and perfumed with some sweet wood spices – coriander powder (?) emerging. Hmm, I think the technical term is ‘smells like a tart’s handbag!’
The palate is big and caramel sweetened with plenty of wine infused barley and displaying more oak than Sherwood forest! In saying that it is sort of balanced by a touch of citrus and some pleasant barley laden spirit comes through on the middle. Very long with a woody, sweet spice finish.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Nectar d’Or ‘Third Edition’ 46%
Re-Tasted: Dec 2014
A nose of dusty but fragrant barley with hints of citrus, honey and herbs. The herbal notes become quite rye-like and hints of oxidised apricot and banana appear along with a crisp, almost Fino sherry-like note.
The palate is full and generous with barley and apricot. Lightly herbal on the middle with building dusty barley and oak. Lightly tannic with a touch of toasted caramel and minerals. Good length with lingering herbal rye-like notes.
Glenmorangie 12 year old Lasanta ‘Third Edition’43%
10 years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before being extra-matured for a further two years in Oloroso and PX Sherry casks
Tasted: Dec 2014
The nose is intense and herbal with hints of honey and coffee but the young, herbal rye-like notes dominate.
The palate displays more of the honey and barley. The oak adds a hint of toffee and the herbal notes are a lot less pronounced than they are on the nose. Very long with the herbal rye-like notes lingering. In conclusion: Although it’s a touch simplistic you have to love that herbal intensity
Glenmorangie 12 year old Lasanta ‘Third Edition’43%
Re-Tasted: Feb 2017
A superb fruit skin intensity to the aromas, which I’ve only ever found in wine. Hints of root ginger, apricot, barley and soft spice. Voluptuous, but integrated oak, which becomes quite aromatic with time.
The palate is less aromatic, less oaky and showing more dark-ish honey and malt. Mature baked fruit comes through on the middle along with a touch of tart citrus and dried fruit. Long, intense and citric with a lovely barley’d finish. Considerably better than the last time I tasted it. There’s actually some sherry influence now!.
Glenmorangie 15 year old 43%
Tasted Oct 2006
A lovely clean, polished, soft nose with honeyed orange fruit, coffee, a touch of pepper and spice along with a floral note reminiscent of orange blossom.
The palate replicates the nose with a touch of natural caramel and a nice intensity of flavour on the middle. Good depth with a palate cleansing dry finish and a touch of menthol on the finish.
Glenmorangie 18 year old ‘Extremely Rare’ 43%
15years in Bourbon/ 3 years in Oloroso
Tasted: Feb 2011
The nose is very oily and a touch reserved. Perseverance in sniffing reveals a dense orange fruit character with a gentle sweetness imparted by the Oloroso cask, which is not overwhelming and adds a lovely touch of coffee-spice. It’s become exceedingly oily now as the mature honey begins to show. Very complex and rather understated to be honest. With time it becomes quite floral.
The palate opens with a fair amount of oily barley and light honey. There’s a touch of under-ripe but fleshy citrus and the delicate, clean sherry moves in on the middle bringing with it some tannins and spice – again it is quite understated and the piquant citrus pierces it like an arrow! Very long with the barley returning and finishing with a perfumed touch, which almost verges on the soapiness.
Glenmorangie 18 year old ‘Extremely Rare’ 43%
Code: L59739
Btl: 2014
Tasted: Dec 2014
The nose is a little cardboardy and dusty with hints of rhubarb, hard barley, toffee and slightly fusty herbal notes.
The palate opens with the hard barley and a touch of honey, but not quite enough. The spices are a little on the cardboardy side and some youthful, herbal spirit emerges. The finish is the most pleasant part of this malt with plenty of Sauvignon-esque grassiness coming through along with a touch of toffee. In conclusion: Whoever chose these casks was having a serious off day!
Glenmorangie 18 year old ‘Extremely Rare’ 43%
Code: L64296
Btl: 2015
Re-Tasted: Feb 2015
the nose opens with honey coated rhubarb and furry gooseberry skin notes. Hints of barley, vanilla and grass follow. Quite full and robust with a pleasant verve and edginess.
Very full with plenty of creamy barley and American oak on the palate. Like the nose there are hints of rhubarb, gooseberry and honey with a touch of banana. The mid palate is very creamy! The crisp citrus, mineral and grassy notes return to balance the creaminess and sweetness on the finish.
Glenmorangie 18 year old ‘Extremely Rare’ 43%
Re-Tasted: Feb 2015
The nose opens with some oiled apricot along with an almost pot still-like spiciness and hints of rye bread. Quite herbal and full with hints of lemon, heather, nettles and gooseberry.
Soft and fruity with barley, apricot, pear and apple notes on the palate. Wonderfully soft with building herbal notes on the middle along with a gentle spiciness. Lovely spicy finish. It really comes alive at the end with hints of gooseberry and green fruit in the after-taste.
Glenmorangie 1975 (20 year old) ‘Tain L’Hermitage Finish’ 43%
Tasted: Apr 2005
The nose is surprisingly spirity, could this be the limitations of the spirit? However the rich cinnamon spiced red wine comes through over the top as does some nutty/ toffee’d Bourbon oak notes.
The palate is robust and creamy. Full flavoured with sweet red fruit and spices and even at this abv the alcohol is rather hot and in cleaning the sweetness from the palate leaves a bit of a lean finish, which is accentuated by its granity hardness. One could argue that the finishing cask was used to mask some tired spirit.
Glenmorangie ‘Quarter Century’ 25 year old 43%
Tasted: Jan 2013
A gorgeously mature nose opening with the sweet dried fruit, cinnamon and clove. Amazingly deep and complex with a developing herbal character. Lush, mature, fragrant honey mingles with liquorice, lightly sawdusty oak and hints of incense Some granity notes add vibrancy to the aromas and with time the fruit becomes lightly tropical in character with just a soupcon of dark chocolate. I love this nose!
The palate is full of the most delightlfy, crumbly spice coated dried fruit. Hints of citrus rind mingle with the dense and mature honey. The oak adds structure along with some fine tannins. Moves in a slightly rum-like direction towards the end. Pure poetry! Very granity and mouth-watering finish. Beautifully fresh with a suggestion of perfumed flowers and light herbal notes. In conclusion: One word…… Stunning!
Glenmorangie ‘Quarter Century’ 25 year old 43%
Re-Tasted: Jan 2013
Intense, oily aromas of cereal and lightly spice, lightly sugar coated cardboard along with a touch of rose petal marc, for good measure.
The palate is quite soft and showing a touch of sawdusty oak, followed by hints of barley, earth and sweet vanillins. Relatively straightforward but cleaner than the nose. Medium length with a citrus/ mineral finish. In conclusion: The palate has a better balance than the nose and that cardboard note really lets it down.
Glenmorangie ‘Quarter Century’ 25 year old 43%
Re-Tasted: Dec 2014
Intensely coffee’d, pure dark, Java. Grainy and gritty with hints of dried prune, raisin and herbs. Great depth.
On the palate the coffee character is not quite as overt as the nose but there is still plenty of sherried dried fruit with a lightly herbal middle. Good length with the herbal sherry notes lingering.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990 (26 year old) 43%
Ex-Bourbon and Ex-Sherry
Dist: 1990 Btl: 2016
Tasted: Jan 2017
A stunningly dense and mature with baked fruit, straw and coffee. Quite malty with developing creamy oak and toffee. Subtle sherried dried fruit appears with time. Very balanced and very harmonious.
The palate is full, with no shortage of toffee’d oak vanillins. Hints of baked fruit and barley come through along with some subtle mature sherried dried fruit and wood spice on the middle. The finish is pleasantly citric, with a slightly mouth-watering, spicy finish. In conclusion: The oak is a little too dominating, but the finish is lovely
Glenmorangie 30 year old 44%
Oloroso Sherry
Tasted: Apr 2005
The nose has some good depth of sherried dried fruit and spice. Fine if you like it like that, but the distillery character is not surprisingly rather absent!
The palate displays a great deal more spirit character with some slightly sharp citrus fruit cutting through the sherry wood. It develops quiet pleasantly but it seems quiet simple through the middle. It is only at the finish that some delicate chocolate and coffee notes appear.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 