Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate 15 Year (Batch #1)

I'm going to start this off with admitting I'm a huge fan of Glenmorangie in general. So I have a pro-Morangie bias. The 10 is one of the best budget/intro scotches out there. The Lasanta is a beautiful 12 year that, last I checked is still going for around the $50 mark. The 14 year, that Quinta Ruban is only $65, and I hear good things about the 18, though I have yet to partake. The Cadboll 15 was on my wishlist and I was totally willing to purchase a 15 Year at $90, but then lo and behold it appeared as part of our state's 50% of clearance so I was able to score it for $44.50. Yeah, you read that right. $44.50. So even if it didn't live up to some of the hype I've read on the nets here, it really was a no brainer. The nose is apricots and vanilla straight off with a touch of honey. There's a touch of strawberry and lemon in the background. It's a light touch. Not overwhelming. It's overall delicate, fruity and floral. The palate continues the honeyed apricots present on the nose and adds a bit of white pepper spice that lingers into the finish. There's a touch of nutiness and graham cracker mingling in there as well. Overall, I prefer it to the Quinta 14, though the Quinta 14 is solid and a deal at the price it goes for (and I'm giving them the same rating because this edges it out slightly but not enough to go 4.5). Obviously this is worlds elevated from the 10 and even the Lasanta 12, which is my go-to Glenmorangie. It's actually not a bad scotch to give someone if you were trying to cultivate in them an interest in scotch in that it builds its complexity out of the fairly standard Glenmorangie 10 profile. It's like an elevated version of that. Having nabbed this at $44.50 it's a steal. I wouldn't have minded paying $90. It lives up to that price, and I'd be interested in future expressions of this range (I know they released a Batch 2; have they released a 3rd?). With football season over, I decided to host a game night at my place to make sure family is coming together for events in the offseason, and next week, my dad and my brother-in-law will be coming over for that. Honestly, I can't wait to share this with them. I'm hoping they like it just as much as I do. Now I'm wondering, why have I never bothered with their Nectar D'Or?

Right around the time Glenmorangie revamped their 12-year old wine cask-finished core range, they also added this 15 year. I remember this initially being billed as a limited edition, though it seems it will be a periodic release. It’s a 15-year old, bourbon cask-aged single malt that uses grain local to the Glenmorangie distillery. Let’s check it out. Nose: Apple, orange, pear, and apricot. Vanilla, honey, and toffee. Honeydew. Vanilla frosting. Floral notes. Almond. Oak. It’s faint. I had struggle to pick most of those out. Palate: Caramel, vanilla, milk chocolate, and toffee. Mocha. Walnut and almond. Gala apple, pear, apricot, raisin, and orange. Black pepper, clove, nutmeg, and oak. Finish: Apple, apricot, pear, orange, and raisin. Sugar cookie, vanilla frosting, and toffee. Clove, nutmeg, and oak. Medium-long finish, leaning toward the former. I could drink this all day. The palate and finish are respectable, though It he nose falls flat. Overall, it’s incredibly clean and pleasant. Perhaps, a bit more boldness would’ve helped. Regardless, it is a fine whisky. I think $80 for this one is a bit much. The nose is mediocre. VFM is slightly off. The palate and finish aren’t good enough to boost the score beyond 3.25/5. A boost in ABV may be necessary to elevate this score. Perhaps I’m being a bit harsh, because it is an enjoyable whisky. But I’m sticking with my score.

Glenmorangie is known for their wood finishes, and they always tend to release a lot of special bottlings for the travel retail market, which of course are not the best the distillery can offer. Recently i have tasted the Cadboll, which wss a fairly good dram, nothing to die for; and when i got to visit the distillery on may of this year i was offered a new Cadboll expression, now with a 15yo statement. A 1 litre decanter, at 43%abv. On the nose, it starts with a vanilla spongy cake, lemon pie. Citric lemon notes, almonds and barley. On the palate, a dim orange flavored water, hints of vanilla, very delicate. Ginger. It is very gentle really; lots of orange notes, orange peel. Aftertaste is sweet. Vainilla cookies, ginger and a dim hazelnut. Overall, i believe this has improved in elegance. It is a very gentle dram, but way too "nice" for my palate. I am more inclined in other type of whiskies, and i love other expressions from this distillery, which i find a lot more tasting and aroma notes. My score for this one is 81 over 100. Not the best "Glenmo" out there, not a bad one either.

How have you made home more cozy this year? In the spirit of staying close to home, Glenmorangie's The Cadboll Estate 15 Year is crafted with barley from 440 glorious acres by the distillery itself. Glenmorangie’s Head of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden selected the particular kind of barley and processing for this inaugural single estate whisky; maturation exclusively in first-fill American oak ex-bourbon barrels. The nose smells like barley and sunshine. I can imagine myself going for a stroll through Cadboll Estate with its smell of straw, light citrus and hint of molasses. The aroma settles more deeply with aged wood shavings and chamomile flowers. The Cadboll Estate 15 has a bright 'n' light grain and citrus palate with a smattering of pepper. This initial tanginess quickly transitions to a rich, moderate length apple, oak and savory shortbread finish. This easy drinking pale yellow pour would be gentle for wince-worthy palates. While it could risk being considered bland to folks who prefer stronger profiles, I'll happily bask in its sunshine. 7.75/10

Clean, classic “scotchy” nose. Werther’s candy, yeasty bread dough, some faint white orchard fruit, banana pudding, mild barrel spices, maybe a pinch of nutmeg, and appearing late white chocolate. It’s sharper on the tongue than anticipated, given the sweet and gentle nose. The palate starts out with a bit of honey dipped golden delicious apple, then it quickly heats up with cinnamon and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Moderately spaced legs develop nicely then quickly disappear. Coats the mouth well and has a slightly oily slickness to it that’s pleasant. Finishes semidry, leaving mostly oak and a hint of cocoa in its wake. Adding water wakes the nose up a bit making it more akin to the flavor, which is softened by it as well, ultimately bridging the gap. It’s an enjoyable dram either way. Nose: 9 Taste: 8 Body: 9 Finish: 8

Not a review but a comment on the latest evidence that supplies are catching up with demand as inventory matures, creating room for lower prices. Per Whisky Advocate: “The Cadboll Estate is priced about 15% lower than the Private Edition releases, and it’s likely significantly more aged... I suspect the distillery has an ample stock of well-aged single malt and a solid plan for keeping pricing competitive even as tariffs and Brexit are causing a lot of uncertainty in that area.” I’m planning to sit out most of the new releases this year and try to make more of a dent in my existing collection, in the expectation that the market is only going to get better for buyers next year and beyond.