
October 22, 2020

Flash session, two Glenmorangies

Well possibly two, as one of them is one of those increasingly annoying anonymous (or secret) malt whiskies. We’ll see…

Glenmorangie ‘A Tale of Cake’ (46%, OB, 2020)
With no age statement, a design made for kindergarten (or for Ronnie McDojnald) and a finishing in Tokaji, will this really be a piece of cake? In whisky, ex-Tokaji wood has been known for its capacity of wrecking even the most spectacular distillates, such as, err, Longrow. But I agree Glenmo isn’t Longrow, and that fun is much needed these days… Colour: light gold. Nose: fresher and zestier than expected, rather on pink grapefruits than on candied raisins or late-harvest furmint. Some peaches too, apricots, lemon biscuits, then longans and probably dried litchis, which would rather lead us towards gewurztraminer, but there, no harm done. Mouth: rather creamy, very easy, rather on oriental pastries, icewine or even ice cider, nougat and popcorn. Lemon drops and touches of mint liquorice. Finish: medium, rather on plum spirit. Rather damson eau-de-vie actually, which I’m about to distil again later in November, by the way, with my loyal 100-l hybrid copper still. A little coffee in the aftertaste. Comments: I think this is a success. The Tokaji was clean, the whisky smooth, and our friends valiant.
SGP:541 - 85 points.

Secret Highland 31 yo 1987/2019 (50.4%, The Whisky Blues, Taiwan, hogshead, cask #23, 79 bottles)

Said to be Glenmorangie, not unlike other 1987s or 1985s that have been shared amongst indie bottlers. These are well single malts, not blended ones as the famous Westports. Now what’s best? Colour: deep gold/bronze. Nose: a shame that the distillery’s reputation cannot benefit from all the very positive comments that such wonderful old whiskies will undoubtedly pull from all corners. Lovely sultanas, with whiffs of ‘a tea in the Sahara’, spearmint, thin mints, orange cake, tangerine marmalade, and tremendously huge (Donald, shh…) notes of rosehip tea. With water: wonderful floral tones, rather around rosewater. Blood oranges. Mouth (neat): more of the same, starting with a little orange squash, then touches of pink Timut-style pepper, before it would unfold with marmalades, raisins, and various fruit liqueurs. Apricotine or Marillenschnaps. With water: a little oak popping out but that’s just nothing in this context. Turkish delights, raisins, liquorice allsorts, marmalade, a touch of aniseed (raki – to sip with Turkish delights)… Finish: medium, a little more honeyed, but the backgrounds remains very orange-y. Zests in the aftertaste. Comments: why aren’t there any indie disclosed Glenmorangies, while Ardbeg aren’t rare at all? Answers on a postcard…
SGP:651 - 90 points.

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