Glenmorangie The Original 12 Year

The Glenmorangie will forever be a core single malt for me. In the infancy of my whisky tasting days, I thought Nectar D'or was just the most magnificent liquid I'd ever had the pleasure of tasting. Indeed, that selection is quite palatable. Recently, The Glenmorangie revised their core offering, bumping the Age Statement from 10 to 12 years. I'm still a bit thrown by the new bottle graphics, expecting to see that good ol' gold label. But that's just me being grumpy and resistant to change. The nose has gained some complexity with the added aging. Citrus peel and granny smith apples add a tart bite. Velvety honey still exists but with it some aromatic vanilla bean. The taste still begins soft, velvety and sweet with honey but with some pleasant nuttiness up front. Honey roasted cashews. This nuttiness was formerly found toward the back of the taste. Toward mid taste, a burst of citrus pith and white peach creates a vibrant fruity note. Surprisingly some tannic oak now joins the party mid-back of taste that was completely lacking on the 10 year. The tannins continue to the finish and actually bring some tingly cinnamon with them. As the initial spice and tannins fade, the nuttiness from the taste slides more towards dry roasted walnuts. Nutty and slightly bitter. Right at the tail end, just before the finish tapers off, there is a surprising hint of dark cocoa powder that was much more prevalent on the 10 year original. With the additional 2 year aging, this bottling seems to have picked up some additional complexity and it's better for it. It is a wee bit more expensive, yes; but well worth the price increase. Delicious.

Review #48 - Whisk(e)y #32 Bought as 100ml, as part of Glenmorangie 12, 14, 15 tasting set, thus not the best price per ml. Chill-filtered - Yes Artificial Colour - Yes ABV - 40% Aspect - Light golden colour, short-medium legs. Nose - quite sharp oak spice, sweet, honey, vanilla, ripe fruit (yellow and red apples, pear). Mellows out with some air. Palate - quite thin, sharp oak spice continues from the nose, oaky dryness, very honey-vanilla forward, light, herbal freshness, a bit of the expected malt, prickly-effervescent, mineral? Slight bitterness and subtle orange-grapefruit note as well. Finish - short-medium, oak...one dimensional and very linear, mineral, effervescent. Slight raisin aftertaste. Quite disappointing actually...I was expecting more smoothness and sweetness...but offers no flavour development, being boring, uneventful and not the most pleasant...Reminds me of Glenfiddich VAT 01...Glenmorangie Triple Cask being maltier and more melow. It does mellow out and become more creamy with time...but still. Glenfiddich 12 is miles ahead of Glenlivet 12 and Glenmorangie 12 (in this particular order). For those in need of starter suggestion / best of the three, definitely go for the Glenfiddich. Never disappoints. Rating System: 5.0 - Perfect 4.5 - Exceptional 4.0 - Very Good 3.5 - Good 3.0 - Decent 2.5 - Average 2.0 - Below Average 1.5 - Barely Drinkable 1.0 - Undrinkable 0.5 - JB

The nose started with a lot of golden malt right after pouring into the glass. I let it breathe, as that seemed strange to me - it couldn't just be the malt. It took no more than 5 minutes for the strong orange peel, sour yellow-red apples, and light vanilla pudding to be revealed. After another 5-10 minutes, these notes change back to being fruity - yellow pears, sweet yellow apples, even light apricot kernels. The taste is quite tart at the beginning, good maltiness, immediately a nutty feeling of wild hazelnut, unpeeled roasted cashew, a vanilla dessert with light candied raspberries/blueberries, and a slight distant feeling of wood with tannins (like a Cabernet residue). Sweet sugary feeling on the finish, light vanilla and cream, colored by golden malt and honey. A good everyday whiskey. It's nothing special, but it's a good everyday whiskey. 80/100 WBR

A complex, Single Malt Scotch by Glenmorangie Whisky Distillery in Highlands, Scotland aged for 12 years before being bottled at 40% ABV. It has an aromatic birth with notes of grain, wood, tart stone & tropical fruits, flowers, nuts, herbs & spices; while a rich & spicy life adds notes of apricots, green apple, Jaffa Cakes & orange marmalade, lemon drop, honey buttered croissant, canned peaches & nectarines, banana bread, caramel shortbread & honeysuckle; that to a long & warm death with notes of oak char, vanilla, pepper, dark chocolate, Brazil nuts & chalky minerality.

I'm finding more depth with this expression the more I come back to it! Nose: bright, fresh orange juice and orange zest, a floral honeysuckle note, backs away into a light, sweet caramel and confectionary sugar. There's also a unique petrichor/fresh rain note here too. Palate: not quite as deep as the nose, but still delivers with a smooth, sweet yet light vanilla cream and a touch of orange zest. Confectionary sugar note appears here too, with a tiny hint of tannic yet sweet toasted oak as it transitions to finish. Finish: medium short, sweet oak.

Nose: Sweet, creamy vanilla. Orange zest, a bit of orchard fruit, namely pear. A gentle baking spice and the tiniest hint of mint. Palate: nice chewy malt; slightly nutty with a bit of honey. Vanilla, barrel/baking spice, a touch of bitter orange peel. Finish: Mellow, lightly warming. Slight oaky bitter tanning that dry out the mouth. After a while, orange pith is noticeable on the retrohale and back of the tongue.