GLENMORANGIE 10

After the two polar opposite scotches I last tasted, I wanted to get back to a taste profile with which I was more familiar and comfortable. I had one in mind I'd been meaning to try, a single malt nearly as omnipresent as the first three we tasted (Glenfiddich, Glenlivet, and Macallan for those of you just joining us). I considered making this the fourth bottle in the 'single malt starter kit', but it just didn't seem to get as much attention as the others. It was priced about the same, took up as much shelf space at the ABC store, showed up at all the same Richmond restaurants, etc. It only happens to be the best selling whisky in Scotland - why didn't I know more about Glenmorangie?

Glenmorangie (glen-MOR-an-gee, rhymes with 'orangy', which is apropos) is known as for pioneering the art of double casking, or finishing whisky in alternative casks. This is practically the norm these days, aging in previously used bourbon casks, then switching things up with sherry casks, maybe port or Madeira for kicks. They stop short of claiming they invented the idea, but were at least they are responsible for popularizing the technique. These casks are used at most twice, versus five or six fills seen elsewhere with diminishing returns. Oddly enough considering its pedigree, the flagship 10 year old single malt is not double casked, spending the whole time in 'designer' American oak bourbon casks (they name drop Jack Daniel's on the website at this point, and yes I know Jack Daniel's is not bourbon but rather 'Tennessee whisky').

Their other claims to fame are their "tallest stills in Scotland", which stand 26 feet high. I will not pretend to know how exactly that affects the flavor of whisky, but it sure looks impressive. I thought distilleries usually bragged about how small their pot stills are. Guess it goes both ways. It may have something to do with the fact that the distillery was formerly a brewery, and the stills were purchased secondhand from a gin manufacturer. 

The 'Sixteen Men of Tain' embossed on the label is in fact not a Clint Eastwood western, but rather acknowledges the staff of 16 employees/caretakers of the distillery (located just outside the town of Tain in the eastern Highlands).The distillery was purchased not long ago by the Moet Chandon/Louis Vuitton group, bringing to mind champagne, fancy brown handbags, and perfume (that last one coming into play as we pour ourselves a dram).

Our three other starter whiskys each exhibit relatively obvious characteristics that a scotch novice will recognize. Same holds true here. Glenmorangie 10 (aka 'The Original') is a good example of a malt with obvious fruit and floral notes. It's usually the Speyside malts that bring the produce, but once you 'nose' this Highland malt, you should immediately get hit of a citrus. Certainly orange, blood orange if I had to pick one. Meyer lemon. I've heard grapefruit. It's positively Floridian in there. Even the color skews toward orange.

The first thing that comes to mind when taking a nip was a bowl of French vanilla ice cream. Peaches on top. Not as malty as your typical Highland whisky. You would think you'd notice the floral notes more in the aroma, like perfume, but I'm picking them up much more so in the flavors. I'm hoping most of you do not drink perfume, but perhaps after an evening of dinner and dancing, maybe you've been lucky enough to experience that taste before. Now that I mention it, you should probably stop reading about scotch on the internet and find her number - tomorrow is Salsa Thursday on the patio at Havana '59.

Left a message? Fair enough, moving on. I specifically mentioned Havana '59 not just for the paella and lessons on Latin hip action, but as one of the places around Richmond who host scotch tasting events. Granted, they usually pair them with cigars (not my jam, but it is a Cuban place after all), but they have hosted a Glenmorangie tasting in the past. I didn't get to attend, but it would have been a good way to sample all their various alternative casking expressions, like the Quinta Ruban or Nectar d'Or. 

Back to the Glenmorangie 10. It's not full-bodied in consistency, if anything a bit thin, There is a lingering finish of orange and peach that can be a little bitter, although not necessarily as a bad thing. It does contrast nicely with its sweeter notes, and that bitter orange flavor is used in Belgian witbiers, gingerbread, and some ceviche preparations, so you may recognize and enjoy that finishing note after all. It's really the peach that makes it a little too fruity for my taste. I tend to gravitate towards the opposite side of the cocktail spectrum from the bellini, but that was my immediate association.

Overall, although it's not the most balanced malt out there (no smoke nor spice to speak of), there is some depth of flavor and complexity. This is one of those malts where I notice a shift in aromas and flavors from start to finish, the creamy citrus gives way to floral notes which leave with a bitter zing. You can trace its path across your taste buds. Fruity as it is though, I just wish it had more vitamin C.

Overall Grade: 84/100, solid B

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