Glenmorangie Tayne

PRICE: $50-105. This is a 1L bottle typically found only for travel retail (Duty Free). I bought my bottle for 50 USD at Piarco International in Port-of-Spain, Trinadad and Tobago. Expect some mark up in secondary markets, and fancier Duty Free shops. INFO: Single malt Scotch whisky from the North Coastal Highlands. This has no age statement. I am guessing this takes young ex-bourbon matured Glenmorangie and finishes it in Spanish Amontillado sherry casks. Don’t be fooled: this is not exclusively sherry matured. Bottled at 43% ABV. NOSE: 73/100. Sweet and rich. Gingerbread, raisins, dark chocolate. Clashes with the clean, floral, fruity characteristic of typical Glenmorangie, which is still there. Some sawdust notes that I don’t like. PALATE: 57/100. First the good: chocolate sherry arrival. Then it falls apart. Deeeeez nuts! Almonds, walnuts, and so forth, but unpleasant and raw. And then there’s all these weird flavors like burnt caramel popcorn, and free DMV coffee. I don’t get it. This can’t decide if it wants to be sweet or dry. In the end, it’s trash. FINISH: 51/100. Yuck. A cacophonous assortment of bitter apples, milk chocolate, rotten limes, rotten eggs, generic spices, and maple syrup. Thankfully it doesn’t linger and dies a quick death. OVERALL: Why do I get suckered into travel retail exclusives that I can foresee are going to be terrible? Anytime you have the trinity of trash Scotch – NAS, TRE, and low ABV (less than 46%), you should not purchase it. But, but, but – I was thinking – one liter for $50? Can’t go wrong with that? And wrong I went. This is a beginner Scotch for those who do not nitpick bad flavor combinations, or bad flavors period; maybe for those who like Scotch on ice. And I left this in Trinidad with someone who drinks Scotch with Coke and ice – nothing wrong with that, but it’s not my style. If you want to have a sherried Glenmorangie, La Santa is easier to find and much better. If you think the tropical climate of Trinidad changed my experience of this Scotch, I bought Talisker 10 at the same shop. It tasted like Talisker 10, and I loved it. MARK: 61/100. VALUE FOR MONEY: I’ll drink it over poison (or Toki). But this bottle’s appropriate value for me is $0.

The final sample I needed from the Glenmorangie travel retail Legends Collection: The Tayne. This bottle pays homage to Spanish sailing ships that transported their wares from the Spanish coast up to Scotland and the U.K. Thanks to my NJ connection, @Richard-ModernDrinking I get to finish this lackluster trilogy off without having to spend another $85-100 to do so. This bottle contains non-age specific juice that was finished in Spanish Amontillado sherry casks. It’s chill filtered, has added color and was bottled at 43% ABV. It’s rich gold in color and makes thin legs without leaving very many drops behind. The nose is ripe raspberries, oranges and dried orchard fruit. There’s a heavy, dry roasted peanut note along with the faintest of oak. The palate starts with more berries and oranges but transitions quickly to cinnamon and paprika spices before a nice, bitter chocolate note rounds things out. It definitely seems much stronger than 43%, but it has to be youthful spirit giving that impression. The finish is long and warm, spicy with a lingering oily sherry note. This is hands down the best aspect of the dram- it just hangs there until you wash it away. Overall, I’m not sure which of the Legends bottles I liked the most. This one lacked any serious complexity, but it was quite palatable- like most Glenmorangie. It seems as though they are never exciting drams- with the exception to the inaugural, Signet bottle. It’s a shame you have to pay $160+ to get to that level with a Glenmorangie, though. This one is a decent, if unremarkable, whisky. 3 stars. Thanks again, Richard. Cheers.

The nose starts with raspberry coulis, orange slices and apple chips followed light floral note of vanilla blossom along with whole nutmeg before a freshly poured walnut brown ale with light ethanol burn. The taste is a thin mouthfeel starting with raspberry sorbet, orange zest and apple juice followed by light floral notes of vanilla blossom before a medium spice that fades to ginger, walnut brown bread and dark chocolate with light ethanol burn that finishes medium length with walnut brown bread, dark chocolate, orange zest, fresh raspberries and light oak. Another easy sipper from Glenmorangie with a balance of light flavors that could use a higher ABV to really intensify the flavors and create a richer mouthfeel as this seems watered down. Of the samples tried, this is probably my favorite of the week that slightly edges out the rest, then tied are Nectar d’Or and Quinta Ruban 14 year, followed by 10 year and lastly Lasanta. Thanks @Richard-ModernDrinking for the generous sample of this to try and wrap up this mediocre week of Glenmorangie.

My third Glenmorangie's Legends whisky, very different from the Lasanta and Duthac, matured in amontillado sherry casks. (I don't know if Signet is part of the "legends") Bottled at 43%abv, with a deep copper color, the bottle is very beautiful. On the nose, orange jelly, reeks of vanilla cream, orange spray (glade?) (For your house, the ambientator) (i dont know the english term for this lol), spicyness on the nose but dim, fresh herbal note. On the palate: nuts. Lots of nuts, it is a little hot (oily not oaky), clove spicyness is very overwhelming, and the finish is medium with ashes and the aftertaste is just like eating crazy dips, that is the feeling you get. It is a very balanced dram, i will give 22 points on each category (nose, palate, finish and balance) so it is an 88 over 100. Cheers!

I opened this bottle to share over Thanksgiving. Being a liter helps with having a few extra folks over too. I've had the Morangie Signet before, which I loved. And the Nectar D'or which I really didn't like...so was hoping this would be somewhere in between. Nose is a bit phenolic at first, but let it breathe. You'll soon find almonds and chocolate. That nut cocoa combo carries over to the palette, adding a bit of vanilla and oolong tea as well. Not abaialable in the US (yet), but if it does become available, it's worthwhile VFM ($75 for a liter). Not up there with the Signet, but better in my opinion than Lasanta, Nectar, or their core 12

Banana bread, sweet cinnamon and baking spices, vanilla and bready malt. Something pleasingly sharp, citrusy, almost Rye-like. Hint of sea salt and toasted coconut. Bright honeyed nuts arrive first on the palate, developing into warm ginger and woody spices. Crisp, slightly bitter finish, though a bit hot. Overall fairly simple, but satisfying. Nothing noticeably improved compared with the original 10 year, in my opinion... A gift from my father (a port man) on his last business trip to England. Dry glass: beeswax and dry malt.