The latest whisky in its ongoing series, Falstaff has had the opportunity to taste Glenmorangie's "A Tale of Spices", discussing the idea behind it with Master Blender Gillian Macdonald.
The Glenmorangie distillery from Tain in the northern Highlands has recently presented "A Tale of Spices ", the sixth edition of its limited "A Tale of..." series.
The charismatic Dr. Bill Lumsden MBE, Director of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie, owes the inspiration for this new creation to his travels. Perennially drawn to spice markets with their intense colors and scents, he sought to transfer this diversity of flavors to a whisky. And after much experimentation alongside Master Blender Gillian MacDonald, this fundamental vision has been made a reality.
What makes this edition special is the use of four different cask types for the finishing – a first for Glenmorangie whisky. It is a complex composition that nevertheless retains the elegant brand character. "We always have certain areas that interest us," Macdonald stated in an interview with Falstaff. "We experimented with Moroccan wine barrels a few years ago, and they were a given right from the start."
The base whisky, a classic Glenmorangie made from 100 percent Scottish barley and water from the company's own Tarlogie spring, was first matured in bourbon casks and then finished in four carefully selected cask types.
The aforementioned Moroccan red wine barrels dominate the blend and contribute characteristic notes of cumin and saffron. Pedro Ximénez sherry casks bring luscious sweetness with date and syrup aromas, as well as nutty chestnut and bread dough notes. New, heavily toasted oak barrels provide fiery accents with ginger, pepper and "bold spices". Portuguese wine barrels make up the smallest proportion and round off the flavor profile.
Glenmorangie's "A Tale of Spices" is the sixth edition in this series. It was preceded by other special creations such as "A Tale of Cake", which was refined in Tokaj barrels, "A Tale of Ice Cream", which was partially matured in vanilla barrels, or the already legendary "A Tale of the Forest", where the malt was smoked utilizing special aromatic timber and other woodland ingredients.
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