Оценка: 85-86/100. Цена: около 60 лв за бутилка от 0,700мл.
Glenmorangie „The Original“ 10 y.o. single malt whisky
In my reviews I do not always follow the worldly logic to start with the base, fundamental distillate or model and then move on to the different, even limited distillates. The example is Glenmorangie „The Original“ 10 y.o. single malt whisky, which forms the basis of Glenmorangie and maybe it’s somehow logical to taste it before all other representatives of the brand. But maybe because I’m blond, I do not follow the rules of formal logic, so I decided to present it after some of the rarest /Glenmorangie Signet single malt whisky & Glenmorangie 25 y.o. single malt whisky/ and oldest /Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, Glenmorangie Lasanta, Glenmorangie Nectar D`or single malt whisky & Glenmorangie Dornoch/ representatives of the brand.
The distillery is located in the Highlands of Scotland and its name means „Valley of tranquillity“. Glenmorangie used to be a brewery before being adapted for distilling whisky. Sources say that this has happened about a century before its official licence for distilling being granted to William Matheson in 1843. In the beginning the copper stills were second-hand – Matheson bought two used gin stills, but once the business took off, several new were added. In 1887 the Glenmorangie Distillery Company Ltd. was founded and the distillery was rebuilt. During the time around World War I, it was purchased by the Macdonald family, which retained control of the company for about 90 years, including the time of the Great Depression in the United States, the introduction of Prohibition and World War II. The peaceful period has brought the chance of success and prosperity, and the number of stills was expanded /it is said that Glenmorangie is home to the tallest stills in Scotland, together with those of Bruichladdich/. Glenmorangie draws its water from the Tarlogie Springs. In the time of postwar economic boom and development, the people from the distillery decided to secure themselves against possible adverse effect on their water source and they purchased 650 acres of the land surrounding it. In the early 21st century, the company was acquired by Louis Vuitton-Moet-Hennessy, who also bought the Ardbeg distillery. Under their leadership, Glenmorangie released a range of wine finished distillates. Actually, the company has practiced such a policy since the early 90s, when Dr. Bill Lumsden /the head of distilling and whisky creation for Glenmorangie presently/ has joined the distillery and began experimenting with so-called ‘double maturation’ and the inclusion of non-standard wine barrels in the process. The main part of the malt production is available as a single malt whisky. However, there is a percentage that is set aside for blends /mixed whiskies/ like Highland Queen. And for the final. During the first event, organized by Optimist 1, I had the chance to talk with Jan Beckers who is the global brand ambassador for Douglas Laing – an independent bottler, who buys casks of whisky with the right to keep and release them on the market, when and as they see fit. So, he mentioned that they have problems with the Glenmorangie whiskies and that’s why they do not buy them, to get them involved in some of the series /Provenance, Old Particular, Old malt cask, etc./. Not only this brand, of course, he mentioned other popular too. The problem was that manufacturers added another whisky, which prevents the purchased amount to be offered by bottlers as a single malt distillate with an indication of the distillery producer. While preparing this article, I came across the information that in such cases Glenmorangie add in their casks whisky from their former distillery – Glen Moray. Action, which is probably justified by some economic interests. But now about the 10-year-old distillate.
Aroma – wax, honey, citrus /mango, pineapple, banana/, dried fruits, floral/ grassy notes, woodiness, sweet-spicy, with prominent pepperness /ginger/, raisins, caramel, light chocolate /milk/, pears, slight notes of baked apples, a weak memory of rum /molasses/, fruit salad, liqueurness. With water – more caramel and ‘yellow’ fruits. Taste – spicy, with very balanced peppery notes, sweetness, fruity /dried plums and apricots/, slight bitterness and alcoholic notes. With water – pepperness decreases and slight woodiness appears. Finish – malty sweetness, slightly buttery, light hint of metal, a memory of pancakes, a toast with honey and butter, lasting sweetness, ‘violet’ candies and light bitterness. With water – dried fruits and more bitterness.
Assessment: 85-86/100. Price: around 60 lv. for a bottle of 0.700 ml.