November 27, 2015

Glenmorangie Dornoch and friend

It’s more than time we have the newer Glenmorangie, named after a famous hotel up there (I’m joking), and then a worthy sparring partner by another name…

Glenmorangie 'Dornoch' (43%, OB, amontillado finish, 2015)

No age statement and a hefty price (75€), so you need stories (‘encapsulates the essence of the Dornoch Firth’) and a wine finishing, here amontillado sherry, which is more or less a fino that ended its life as an oloroso. Colour: light gold. Nose: light and fresh, rather grassier than the usual Glenmorangies, and closer to the raw malt, which suggests a young age. A touch of vanilla from some American oak, and perhaps walnuts from the sherry, plus a smidgen of fresh mint. Lightish whisky, but it’s whisky anyway ;-). Mouth: oranges, lemons, oak, cider apples, some barley syrup, a little fudge, and some custard. Some literature mentions smoke, but unless I’m getting smoke-blind, I’m hardly getting any. A little apple pie. The body’s rather bigger than I had thought when nosing it, but the whole remains pretty harmless. Finish: medium, creamier, typical American oak signature. Comments: more than fine, but the excellent recent Tusail was way above this rather innocuous one in my book. The fresher and less oaked regular Ten as well. SGP:441 - 79 points.

Westport 1997/2014 (48%, Wilson & Morgan, blended malt, sherry butts, casks #3358-59)

As you may know, Westport is the name of a ‘teaspooned’ Glenmorangie, so a blended malt that’s almost a single, but you can’t tell. Colour: full gold. Nose: there’s much more orangey sherry in this one, and rather less custardy vanilla. Some tobacco and walnuts, which is typical, and then a fruity brightness, with more oranges and something like curry powder, possibly from some active wood. Nice nice nice, not a sherry bomb. Refill butts? Mouth: starts with some tea and these notes of kirsch that sometimes come from refill sherry, then leather from the same source, perhaps a little cardboard/flour, then the very same oranges as in the nose. The strength is perfect. Finish: rather long, with traces of pencil shavings, some walnuts, some leather, and some bitter oranges. Comments: this baby could have been an official, as I do seem to find notes of ‘wood technology’ in it. But it’s very good! SGP:451 - 84 points.

Check the index of all Glenmorangie I've tasted so far