Highland

Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Nectar D’Or Extra Matured in Sauternes Casks 12 Years Old
46% ABV
$65 to $70
Website

What the Distillery Says:
“Great to see French casks that actually complement a whisky – so rare! An exercise in outrageously good sweet-dry balancing”

It is here, in hand selected wine barriques from Sauternes: the most famous and ancient sweet wine growing region of France, that this whisky develops its rich, spicy and dessert-like flavours.

Non chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.

Aroma: Lime and orange rind, sultanas and dates give a rich fruity flavour laced with tantalising spices of coconut and nutmeg.
Taste: Ginger, nutmeg and toasted almonds bring a deep, warming taste interwoven with a syrupy lemon meringue and honeycomb middle.
Finish: Long and lusciously sweet finish with lemon zest, white chocolate, vanilla and traces of ginger and nutmeg.
Colour: Honeyed gold

What Richard Says:
Nose: A daiquiri with Japanese cherry blossoms. No, not that multicolored fruit-nasty thing in the swirly machine at Wet Willy’s. This is a real daiquiri like Hemingway drank. Fresh squeezed lime juice, rum, and sugar.
Palate: Thick honey sweetness sprinkled with black pepper and a nutty back.
Finish: Dry and surprisingly woody.
Comments: This one plays with the finishing and sweetness better than the Lasanta. The Sauternes casks are nice enhancement to already solid malt.
Rating: Stands Out

Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Quinta Ruban Extra Matured in Port Casks 12 Years Old
46% ABV
$45 to $50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
The darkest and most intense whisky in the extra-matured range, Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban has spent 10 years maturing in American white oak casks, before being transferred into specially selected ruby port pipes from the Quintas or wine estates of Portugal.

Extra maturation in these port pipes develops Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban into a voluptuous spirit with a complex balance of sweet and dry flavours and an intriguing contrast of smooth and crisp, cooling textures.

Non chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.

Aroma: Dark mint chocolate, tangerines and Seville oranges mingle with sandalwood and walnut before giving way to a spicy finish of pepper and nutmeg.
Taste: Mint chocolate and walnuts envelop the palate like velvet, laying the foundations for rose, Turkish delight and sweet Seville oranges.
Finish: Long lasting silky aftertaste leaving dark chocolate mints and traces of orange.
Colour: Sunlit rose gold

What Richard Says:
Nose: Citrus, berries, and a hint of sweet basil.
Palate: Oily, rich, and smooth. Plums, dark chocolate and more citrus. Chocolate orange candies?
Finish: Long and dry.
Comments: Very nice. Of the three 12 year old finishes I like this one the best. The port adds a delicious overtone. It doesn’t quite dominate like Lasanta’s sherry but it edges over the Nectar D’Or.
Rating: Stands Out

Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch Whiskey
The Lasanta Extra Matured in Sherry Casks 12 Years Old
46% ABV
$45 to $50
Website

What the Distillery Says:
Elegant but full bodied this whisky has spent ten years maturing in American white oak ex-bourbon casks before being extra-matured for a further two years in Oloroso Sherry casks from Jerez in Spain.

Aroma: Warm spices mix with smooth chocolate covered raisins, honeycomb and caramel toffee.
Taste: Deliciously sweet sherry flavoured sultanas, orange segments, walnuts and butterscotch combine to create complex warm spices.
Finish: Long and satisfying finish with spiced orange and chocolate covered hazelnuts.
Colour: Light russet

What Richard Says:
Nose: Heavy, in your face meaty sherry nose. Vanilla, stewed prunes dusted with cocoa powder, hazelnuts, and back notes of clementine orange slices.
Palate: Sweet almost to the point of being cloying. Raisins and nut trail mix with a pinch of white pepper.
Finish: Warm, slow and nutty.
Comments: I like sherried malts…a lot. Hit me with your biggest sherry bomb and I’ll be coming back for more. However, this young kid seems to be trying a bit too hard. It lacks the balanced play of an aged Glendronach or Mortlach. I think maybe it’s because the underlying malt is so delicate I don’t think it stands up well to the heavy sherry influence here. It’s more of a glass of sherry with a Glenmorangie boilermaker rather than a sherry finished Glenmorangie.
Rating: Stands Out

The Dalmore Cigar Malt Reserve Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
44% ABV/88 Proof
$125
Available in select specialty retailers

What the Distillery Says:
Matured for the majority of its life in bespoke Oloroso Matusalem sherry butts and bottled at 44% alcohol by volume, the body and character of this extraordinary expression is the perfect complement to a fine cigar. The sherry cask proportion is 70
percent and 30 percent American white oak.

Color: Deep amber gold in colour with glittering highlights.
Nose: Aromas of orange marmalade, honey and citrus fruits abound in sensual profusion.
Taste: The long years spent in the finest Oloroso sherry wood deliver intense notes of crushed almonds, cinnamon and spice to complete the nose of this remarkable expression.
Finish: On the palate creamy vanilla, toffee and sweet pineapples open, followed by rich mango, crushed pear and kiwi fruits. An aftertaste of unsurpassed elegance.

What Richard Says:
Nose: Sherry, orange, and a consistent savory note that I find in a lot of Dalmore.
Palate: Sweet, nutty, and a little spicy on the back end of the palate.
Finish: That nuttiness from the palate really lingers. Vanilla and spicy oak through end of a long slow finish. I don’t really get any of the fruit but still a very nice finish.
Comments: Apparently, ever since the refresh of the Dalmore portfolio Richard Paterson keeps getting questions about what happened to the old Cigar Malt. Well, this isn’t it but it is very nice. It’s not quite Dalmore at the top of it’s game like The MacKenzie but it’s still a stand out dram. I’ll have to take some more time with this and pair it up with a few cigars.
Rating: Stands Out

We would like to thank Laura with The Baddish Group for providing us a sample for review.