Scandimania: Glenmorangie 10 Year Old Original Single Malt Whisky

I do love modern technology. When you really sit back and think about some of the technological advances we have at our finger tips, it really does amaze. In fact, as I write this I am a living embodiment of how incredible technology is: I have a battery powered bluetooth keyboard which is connected to an iPad mini. The keyboard itself is sensitive to light and will only provide backlit keys when the light is low. I'm told by the manual that if the backlight isn't used, at two hours a day usage, the battery will last an entire year. Longer than most of my whiskies last me.

Add to this my current location: I'm sitting in an airline seat, on a giant hunk of metal currently hurtling through the sky at… let me check on the screen imbedded into the seat in front of me where I have a GPS readout of exactly where my plane is in the sky... yes, at 504 mph (ground speed).

The whole thing, this amazing mix of technology, is pretty mind blowing, really.

We live in an incredible time when we have technology like this at our fingertips and we eat and drink better than the most successful kings in history. We are very blessed people.

But as technology develops, some (which were hyper-exciting at the time) become obsolete. Take the entertainment centre in the seat in front of me: I remember my first ever long haul flight when I was about 12, flying to Canada for an extended family holiday. The sheer excitement of films, TV shows, games... all hidden behind a small screen to play with for hours was amazing. Nowadays, not so.

In fact, such is my distrust of the quality of the entertainment I'm likely to find in-flight, that I've taken to loading up my iPad with all the goodies that I might need. I'm hardly likely to find Alpha Papa: Alan Partridge The Movie, on a US carrier's servers, I feel.

In loading up my iPad with titbits of entertainment, I took to downloading the final episode of Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall's Scandimania, a show which has aired in the UK on Channel 4. Known for his very British approach to cooking, HFW (as we shall refer to him) went on a mission to discover what it is that makes the people of Sweden, Denmark and Norway so darn happy. Over three shows he left his comfort zone and went in search of the stories about industry, history, culture and food.

I had previously managed to see his shows on Sweden and Denmark when they were broadcast, but missed the final show, all about Norway and so used C4's on demand service, 4OD, to download it onto my iPad for this flight across the Atlantic.

The show was of particular interest to me, as regular readers to caskstrength.net will know that I am a Norwegian passport holder. Now, I would be the first to admit that I'm not the best when it comes to upholding simple national traditions, such as speaking the language. 

Shame on me. 

Nor do I own the national dress and I rarely celebrate 17th May (Norwegian Independence Day).

However, there is an undeniable affinity that I feel with Norway and in particular the city of Bergen. Seeing it feature on the show made my heart beat a little faster and a smile creep across my face for a place I spent most summers as a child but precious few days as an adult.

In his final episode of Scandimania, HFW singles out Norway for its understated success; now the fourth richest country in the world, you may well find Norwegians in the best shops in London, but you sure-as-$hit wont find them having their matt black Lamborghini clamped outside Harrods or buying Premiership football clubs. They leave that type of 'class' to other wealthy nations.

Watching the show led me to wonder: if Norway was a whisky, which would it be? The answer was pretty simple: Glenmorangie.

Always around and one of the biggest selling single malt Scotch whiskies in the world, Glenmorangie is, despite being owned by uber fashion house LVMH, I think pretty understated. Yes, they advertise and yes, they speak of their quality but they don't seem to shout about it; they just get on with it.

I was recently re-introduced to their entry level offering at the launch of their new annual limited edition Companta (which we review here), the 10 Years Old 'Original' and fabulous it was too. I probably hadn't had a dram of it in about two years and was pleased to find that it was as delicious as I'd hoped it would be. A rare find indeed.

Glenmorangie - Original - 10 Years Old - 40% abv - £29 here or £26 here

Nose: A sweet yet malty nose gives hints of real vanilla pods, banana bread and both green and red apple skins. It is a developed nose that is delicate yet full of flavour. A lot going on without being unbalanced.

Palate: Drinkable neat, it gives some peach, more malt and banana initially on the palate, which develops nicely into lemon meringue pie, mango and a touch of vanilla at the death.

Finish: Soft and smooth with some spice and the vanillas again.

Overall: One retailer above currently has this for £26 for a 75cl which comes with a mini of another of the Glenmorangie stable. A steal? I would think so. This whisky is one to not be forgotten about if you're looking for some change from £30 (here in the UK) for a classic Highland single malt whisky.

The rediscovery of this dram threw me a puzzle: why did I 'forget' about it in the first place? Especially when I have been happily ordering Glenfiddich and The Glenlivet's lower priced bottles rather freely at bars recently. The only answer that I can come up with, is that the Original is rather softly spoken. Rather understated. Rather, erm... Norwegian.  

Glenmorangie Companta: The Perfect Company?

Strange scenes at Caskstrength Towers of late. Banging late at night, the whir of machinery and today, the arrival of an enormous package, wrapped in cloth, carried by two straining red faced men. What does all this mean, you may ask? 

Renovations perhaps?  Of sorts, yes, but the type that were spuriously planned only a few days ago.  

The reason behind the work, was a chance encounter with a baby grand piano. Just under a week ago, I decided to buy one- completely on the spur of the moment.  Not something that one usually adds to a shopping list is it: Potatoes, check. Bread, check. Milk, check. Ginger ale, check. Grand piano, WTF?!!

It was an exceptional deal and all said and done, an exceptional piece of woodwork. The nameplate reads  Monington & Weston, which we can date to around the 1930s, beautifully housed in a rich mahogany cabinet.  

The trouble is, as I am now quickly finding out, you tend to arrange a room around something as large as a piano, which meant that the first thing in order was ripping up the carpet in order to sand and stain the floorboards before it arrived.  

Why am I telling you all this inane stuff?  Well, there is a point, honestly. You see, just before I took receipt of the piano, I thoroughly sanded the floor, till the natural wood (let's call it Quercus Beckenham) shone through. Wood is clearly a beautiful material, both aesthetically and from a functionality perspective. Once I had finished sanding the room developed an additional level of maturity about it, not dominated by, but enhanced by the natural tones of the wood.  

Then, I think I did something stupid.  I decided to apply a couple of layers of medium oak varnish to the floor. Instantly, the boards were darker, less natural looking and... sort of overly brown. Maybe even David Dickinson in colour. In my opinion, the varnish had dominated the wood. Yes, it looks ok, but i'm not convinced it enhances the room in the way that I had hoped.  

The reason I bring this up is that whenever I now play the piano (you need to allow 6 weeks before having it tuned, which seems like an eternity) I will look at the floor and wonder what it would have been like had I have not applied the varnish.  Did I made the right decision, or go too far?

The same question applies neatly to the use of wine casks in 'extra' maturing whisky. For those that get it right, the process involves enhancing the character of the spirit by using the cask as a vessel to deliver a complete balance of complementary flavours. But there are plenty who use wine casks (often heavy, tannic red wine barriques) to hide a multitude of sins -  rather in the same way that someone would use a heavy wood varnish to hide the imperfections in a wooden floor. The results are effectively all about the wine, with the spirit (imperfections and all) taking the back seat.  

One man who knows a thing or two about balance is Dr Bill Lumsden, whisky maker for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg.  With the latter he has steered clear from tinkering too much with the formula of one of Islay's real unfettered gems (save for a few sherry cask interventions.)

It is with Glenmo however, that Dr Bill has indulged his experimental side - particularly his love of fine wine. A while back, I was fortunate enough to visit Tuscany with Bill and see first hand his genuine excitement for the bold, complex 'Super Tuscans' on offer, particularly the red wine from the hallowed Tenuta San Guido winery who produce Sassicaia -  one of the finest wines in the world.   

With the Private Edition series of Glenmorangie (which has also spawned a PX sherry finish, (Sonnalta), a very lightly peated expression, (Finealta) and more recently, Ealanta - a Glenmo matured in virgin white American oak) Bill has combined his knowledge about whisky with his love for intriguing wines.  Two releases in particular highlight how both can work in harmony, with the usually dominant tannic tones of the wine allowing the delicate signature notes of Glenmorangie to shine through. Back in 2012, Artein was released, utilising the aforementioned Sassicaia casks and the results were superb: (read our review here) Rich, very vibrant and fruity, all allowing the soft floral character of Glenmorangie enough room to breathe.    

Will the latest edition stay true to Dr Bill's finely tuned skills?  

Companta (meaning friendship in Gaelic) is the 5th release in the Private Edition. This time around, a majority proportion (around 60%) of the recipe is built from 10 year old Glenmorangie which has been maturing in casks which have previously held Clos du Tart, a vibrant Burgundy wine.  

To make up the remaining 40%, Dr Bill has used a proportion of older Glenmo, which has then spent time in casks first filled with Rasteau, a wine from the southern Rhone region in France.   

According to Bill, Companta was nicknamed 'Cherry Red' during the development stages of the whisky.  Judging by the colour of the whisky in the glass, we can see where he got the inspiration from.  But along with colour, could the use of these particularly dominant wine casks bring with it any unwanted characteristics?  Let's find out:

Glenmorangie - Companta - Private Edition Series - 46%

Nose: An initial tannic bite, with sour cherries, dark chocolate and earthy red wine notes. After a little while, these give way to a softer side -  some candied fruit, a touch of mandarin, soft red fruit and vanilla begin to emerge.  After that, the whisky becomes completely unlocked and the Glenmorangie of old begins to develop, with wafts of gentle sweetness and a lingering floral note.  

Palate: Again, initially darkly tannic and woody, but this gives way to some luxurious dark chocolate, a touch of tobacco leaf, sweetened vanilla cream, fresh raspberries and back to black again with a thick molasses note. 

Finish: As the palate begins to dry, a liquorice note develops, alongside a lingering red berry sharpness and rich chocolate. 

Overall: A very different beast to Artein, in that Companta is a much more robust and complex whisky, full of dark surprises, whereas Artein has an effortlessly light, breezy nature to it.  Companta is, without a doubt, masterfully put together and highlights how additional maturation can change the dynamic range of a well known spirit. 

Now if only I had hired Dr Bill to varnish my floor... 

I Am The News! Quick Friday Round Up of Fun

News team.... Assemble!!

As the late Tommy Cooper said, 'I'm on a whisky diet. I've lost three days already.' This pretty much sums up the average Caskstrength week and there's so much to tell you about, gawd dang, but never enough days in the week to do it justice.

So here's a little round up of the week's most interesting news and reviews.

On Wednesday, The Macallan launched their next intrepid project, simply entitled The Flask -  a collaboration with Californian designers Oakley (well known for their outdoor apparel and sunglasses.) The Flask is a modern day look at the fragility of the humble hip flask.  Put it this way, if you're popping something exceptional inside your hip flask, the last thing you want to happen is for it to disintegrate in your suit pocket, or leak all over the insides of your handsome Bill Amberg luggage.  So together, constructed with materials that resemble a bullet proof vest, the team have put together what is probably the toughest hip flask in the world.  

And not known to faff about, The Macallan chaps have shot this fun video to show the hip flask in action.  Clearly just another every day in Speyside, by the looks of things.  More to come on this one in due course, so watch this space.... www.themacallan.com

Next up and today, Highland giants Glenmorangie have announced their brand new programme allowing the consumer to effectively choose the next whisky the company will bottle.  Cask Masters is an innovative scheme whereby from an initial choice of three samples, one whisky will eventually be chosen, labelled and named all from within the forum of the general public.  Camel by committee, or something extremely revealing about how powerful the consumer has now become in terms of dictating flavour profile? You decide, but we're looking forward to seeing the results.  Having tasted the three samples we can vouch that they are all highly different expressions of Glenmo - one Burgundy cask, one Bordeaux and one Manzanilla, with our leaning towards the Bordeaux cask.  

For more details on the programme, visit  www.glenmorangie.com/caskmasters

On a similar tip, The Singleton have announced a foray into the unknown with a look at the way we perceive whisky through the senses. Professor Charles Spence and Condiment Junkie (man, do all these 'experiential'/ 'immersive' agencies focus group their frankly absurd names?) are recruiting 300 participants for a science experiment into the effect of environment on the taste of whisky. The Singleton Sensorium will run on Wednesday 20th and Thursday 21st March at 79 Beak Street in Soho.  
Email laboratory@condimentjunkie.co.uk if you're interested in signing up.  

And Finally... We have another whisk(e)y tasting coming up.  Wednesday the 6th March at the Southbank Centre, this time covering the truly exciting world of Irish Whiskey.  Some great whiskeys will be served including Redbreast 15yo and Green Spot, alongside a host of other goodies.  If you fancy coming, drop us a line and we'll sort you out tickets.  The tastings are usually only for members of the Southbank Centre, but we've opened it up to readers of this website too... info@caskstrength.net  or click here:  Irish Whiskey Tasting

That was the news.  TTFN x

Braving The Elements

Next week, Caskstrength are off to Helsinki for the second annual Uisge Festival - Finland's first dedicated whisky festival. We'll be doing a talk on cask finishes so hopefully there will be plenty of discussion points - and some decent drams to analyse!

In preparation for the sub-zero temperatures and snow, we've bought some new clothing: Boots with big laces and thick soles (the Berlin brogues 'debacle' is still firmly in our mind), as well as some decent cardigans (somewhere in-between Val Doonican and Starsky) and new hats. As fur is a little bit non-pc, we went for the soft option of an ear hat, rather than this rather startlingly dressed gentleman!!

And rather like filling your car with anti-freeze, we're topping up the blood levels with whisky, so we don't freeze internally.

Fortunately, a brace of samples from BenRiach has just arrived, so without further ado, time to start warming!!

Benriach - 17yo - Rioja Cask Finish 46%

Nose: Fruit sherbet, whisky steeped raisins, dried cherries, a little waft of liquorice and some mint.

Palate: Ooh! A very nice balance between sweetened liquorice, some clove/all spice and more of the steeped raisins. Some thick malt extract notes develop, alongside a touch of burnt orange, but all in all, rather nice indeed.

Finish: Lingering notes of the raisin and dried cherry.

Overall: Surprising, as we have tried a few wine finishes recently and with the exception of Glenmorangie's Artein they were all quite sub -standard. This really works though - with enough of a balance between malt and sweetness to satisfy even the most demanding of palates.

next up: a heavily peated madeira cask bottling...

BenRiach - 13yo - Heavily Peated Madeira Cask - 46%

Nose: A blast of young peat on the first nosing- confirms the name of this whisky, without question. Some tweed, woollen notes develop and a deft sweetness, but the peat is without a doubt the domineering force here.

Palate: As expected, some bonfire-like smoke washes over the tongue, but brings with it notes of strawberries and cream, some dark toffee and a hint of Java coffee. There is more depth than the nose, but minus the slightly sweet fruit notes, you'd be hard pressed to tell this was matured in a madeira cask.

Finish: lingering sweetness and an ashy peaty coating.

Overall: Straight, direct and luscious peat. Elements of sweetness too, but one for the peat hounds out there for sure.

We'll bring you a couple more of these over the next few days - thus completing our warming preparation for chilly Finland! Stay tuned...

Bloomin' Nice Juice: BNJ Blended Whisky

[From www.caskstrength.net]

And so it begins... 2012 is upon us and it is traditionally the time of year when we look to banish the excesses of the festive season and to tighten our belts in more ways than one.

We’ve all done it, if not this year then in previous years; spent too much money and consumed too much beer / wine / whisky / meat / cheese*

*delete as appropriate

So what is one to do in January? Well, rein in the spending- yes. But rein in the drinking...? Come on! Seriously, though the first month of the year does provide a good opportunity to detox, at least in part, with lots of green tea and milk thistle and a reduction in intake of booze. But if this kind of belt tightening is not for you, yet you’re looking to save a few pennies having splashed out on that really excellent bottle as your Christmas gift to yourself, then you might want to try something a little cheaper. Our pick to kick off the year with, is the Bailie Nicol Jarvie blended Scotch whisky.

Not a whisky we talk about a lot on here, BNJ as it is known, was a hugely popular blended whisky for large parts of the 20^th Century but its popularity has waned in recent decades, despite still being highly regarded among Scotch experts (the always loveable Charles Maclean ranked it in his top10 whiskies for 2011 recently in the Independent).

Named after a character in ‘Rob Roy’, the seminal book by Walter Scott, BNJ is owned by the Glenmorangie company and is made using a high proportion of malt whisky (apparently around 60%) from just eight distilleries, including some Glenmorangie. This is mixed with grain whisky from the Girvan distillery, blended and bottled to be sold to yours truly for just £18-ish. Deal? Done!

Bailie Nicol Jarvie – Blended Scotch Whisky – 40% abv (£18.99)

Nose: Sweet honey and vanilla tones are underpinned with a whisp of smoke. Some candyfloss develops along with freshly cut pine and menthol. Banana foam penny sweets come through at the last.

Palate: Initial hit of lemon meringue pie, this palate is soft and sweet. Vanilla ice cream comes through, backed by over ripe banana and just a hint of coal dust right at the back of the palate. Very nice for such an inexpensive blend.

Finish: More foam banana sweets, some lemon zest and the lemon meringue pie. Short and slightly warming.

Overall: A very drinkable blended whisky, very well put together and exceedingly good value for money at around £18 a bottle.

Take that finances! I might just stick on this bottle for the month of January and give both my liver and my bank balance time to recover. As for my belt tightening, I’m off down the gym. Not to use the equipment, but to sit in the Jacuzzi you understand...

16 Men of Artein. Glenmorangie Artein Arrives...

We're barely 2 weeks into Christmas and bang! the first big contender for 2012 arrives at our door. Glenmorangie Artein (which is derived from the Gaelic word for stone) follows on from the largely successful experiments the distillery have conducted using additional maturation in unusual wine casks. Pride was matured for an additional ten years in casks which held Chateau d'Yquem Sauternes and Nector D'or a similarly sticky experiment, albeit without such long secondary maturation.

Glenmorangie Artein is one of the distillery's 'Private Editions', based on the Glenmo' Classic but additionally matured in 'barriques' containing 'Super Tuscan' Sassicaia wine. According to Dr Bill Lumsden, creator of the whisky, 'two different ages of extra matured Glenmorangie have been married together- some 15 years old from 1996 and some 21 years old from 1990'.

Sounds intriguing. We haven't always been the best of friends with additional wine maturation, but after tasting the excellent Pride, we're more than prepared to take a 2nd look at this increasingly expressive way to create something different in whisky.

Glenmorangie - Artein - 46% - Lab Preview Sample

Nose: Initially a little note of spirit, giving the impression that this is higher in strength than it actually is, but this quickly subsides into a basket of fruit; think fresh red berries, bananas, candied peels, vanilla and floral wax. Wonderfully light and refreshing. Given time, it develops a tinned fruit note, with creamy vanilla custard, sponge fingers and a touch of the sweet wine. Luxurious trifle? Bang on the money. Lovely.

Palate: Sweet, with a hint of unctuous dessert wine, then into ripe plums, some woody spices, green apple peel and the first crusty bite of a festive toffee apple.

Finish: Lingering fruit notes, then a waxy/woody and surprisingly creamy and honeyed aftertaste.

Overall: Hugely expressive and frankly very easy to write tasting notes on. The fruit and cream intermingle in harmony and underneath, the wine influence doesn't take this too far into the experiment-gone-too-far territory. All in all, a cracking whisky for after dinner, in preference to a glass of sticky....

Wax On Wax Off

Remakes are a difficult thing to get right. In fact, most people really would rather watch the original. We’ve spoken on this blog before about remakes of British TV shows for the US market, some with disastrous results...

However, when it comes to films the choppy waters of remakes are very difficult to navigate. Take, for example, the 1980’s classic Karate Kid. A seriously iconic piece of film history which, for people of my generation, holds a special place woven into the fabric of our youth culture alongside other amazing films such as Back To The Future, ET and Star Wars. Surely not a contender for a remake then, as the original was so damn fine?

Well, no.

Some bright spark in Holywood decided that 2010 and 1984 were worlds apart and what the Wii-wielding generation of today needed was a newer, more up-to-date version of this film classic.

Oh, dear.

The brightest spark from this episode was for Karate Kid 2010 to take the heat off the even worse film adaptation of The A-Team... Ouch.

Despite these travesties, things may be looking up when it comes to remakes. This year sees the release of the Coen Borthers remake (or retake) on True Grit. The original film from 1969 starred John Wayne, a role for which he won his only Oscar. In the remake this role is played by Coen Brothers stalwart Jeff Bridges who is also nominated for an Academy Award for his performance.

As an audience it is easy for us to compare and contrast the new with the old; to watch two films back-to-back and rate the comparable performances, the lighting, the special effects and overall feel of the film. But what if we didn’t have the original to watch, to compare with? What if we only had a script with some production notes to go on? What if the film was remade, not to updated specifications, but to reflect the era it was intended for?

Remakes are something that whisky companies seem to be very keen on with The Macallan being the most famous, having released a series of replica bottlings over the years. We also expect Whyte & MacKay to have a good stab at recreating the famous Shackleton’s frozen whisky from 100 years ago. These experiments are always welcome as it gives an insight into the drinking tastes of different generations, all drawn from actual stocks from that era.

The new release from Glenmorangie however is a remake with a slight twist. The Finealta has been developed using a recently found order, when The Savoy Hotel ordered some Glenmorangie for their American Bar in 1903. Not the easiest of tasks, as Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's Head Of Distilling and Whisky Creation explained to us:

“There was no old samples of Glenmorangie from the early 1900’s so we have to do a bit of research and think and imagine what it might have tasted like.

I also spoke to a few old chums in the industry, people who had done a lot of research, and they came to the conclusion that whisky would have tasted slightly different from the whiskies we have today. Certainly more smoky as distilleries would have all had their own floor malting.

We then found some wonderful dusty old leather ledgers in a space opposite Glenmorangie which detailed every vatting of Glenmorangie from over the last 100 years or so.”

This new expression was made using some medium peated Glenmorangie which was laid down “prior to the mid 1990s”, according to Dr Lumsden. You can here him explaining the cask selection for this release on our Audioboo site here.

So, how does this whisky stand up? Well, before we look at this recreation, let’s try the Original...

Glenmorangie – Original – 10 Years Old – 40% ABV

Nose: There is a large hit of vanilla and freshly cut oak, a hint of green grass and some mint tea. Fresh without being too zesty, this nose carries just enough character to tempt you in. Improves with time in the glass.

Palate: The vanilla notes from nose are enchnaced on the palate and the freshly cut oak develops more in to fresh pine. Slight hints of coffee and ginger, this palate has easy drinking written all over it. Not challenging, but then it isn’t supposed to be.

Finish: The wood notes linger, but not for a huge length. The ginger becomes more pronounced and finally the vanillas smooth the passage.

Overall: As with Karate Kid, this holds a place in the fabric of my “whisky youth” and still remains a stable Scotch in my cabinet today. A real solid drinker which delivers with astonishing consistency bottle after bottle.

Glenmorangie – Finealta – Private Edition - NAS – 46% ABV

Nose: This Glenmo really benefits from the extra ABV over the Original. This whisky gives off greater liqueur notes which add a rich texture to the aroma. Ginger pokes though backed with the heavy engine of rich wood spices. Difficult to spot the smoke, but it is there. An Ardbeg this certainly isn’t. However, more robust and masculine than any other Glenmorangie I’ve had it certainly is.

Palate: A complex palate gives plenty of ginger dipped in dark chocolate, zesty but bitter. The official tasting notes say “breakfast marmalade” which is on the money, but the flavour is much more intense and less sugary, more akin to blackcurrant jam with cracked black pepper and some wood spices. With water, the whisky opens up to reveal more citrus notes and spices. Good with and without a splash.

Finish: This is where the smoke really hits home with a waft through the back palate, leaving chewing tobacco notes, a hint of wet wool and some dark red fruits (plums?).

Overall: It must be noted that despite using some medium peated whisky, this is not a peated whisky. If you’re expecting Ardbeg, go and buy a bottle of Ardbeg! This is a Glenmorangie that has been bulking up down the gym. Bags of flavour, if not a touch unbalanced at times, this really improved with greater time in the glass. Get the air in and let the flavours out. The perfect drink for 1903. And by that we mean 19:03 in the evening, on a Friday, in your favourite chair at home. A great way to see in the weekend.

The Glenmornagie Finealta was developed by Dr Bill Lumsden and Rachel Barrie, who you can hear talking about this whisky on our Audioboo site.

It's Back!! The '10 Minute Dram with..... Glenmorangie's Annabel Meikle'

Continuing where we left off with Richard Paterson last year, next up we have a brilliant interview for your delectation with none other than Annabel Meikle, Sensory Whisky Creator at Glenmorangie.

Annabel has many years experience in the whisky industry, working with the SMWS for over 6 of them and, in addition to helping create some of the newest expressions from Glenmorangie's impressive portfolio, she also manages the Glenmorangie international Education Programme, helping communicate the nuances of single malt Scotch whisky to international delegates.

Over to you Annabel!!

CS: Describe your (no doubt hectic!) day for us…

"I suppose I have three types of day – one when I’m in the office, one when I’m travelling and then time spent up at Tain.
Office days are usually spent catching up with various colleagues – and getting updated on projects. There is always sensory work to be done in the lab, if the public knew how many checkpoints the dram in their glass went through – they would be amazed! Wine, sherry or port casks may need nosing so it’s quite varied.

When I’m travelling it usually means an early start, a flight, interviews with press, training sessions, tastings, dinner and a late night! And the same again the next day…and the next!

Obviously I spend plenty time up in Tain. I run an Education programme for our ambassadors. It is an intense week that equips them to sell our whisky with confidence. I’ll also look after press trips and sales teams from our global markets. There is always lots of whisky, delicious food and more late nights up at Glenmorangie House! "


How has your career developed since you finished studying- and when did you realise you wanted to work with whisky?

"It was complete chance! I studied at art college and went onto run my own ceramics business for eight good years. It was successful, but I realised I wanted a change so after a being a cheese buyer for 2 years I took a bar job at The Scotch Malt Whisky Society in Edinburgh. I was very lucky because I’ve turned something else that I loved into a career. I had lots of opportunities to grow my knowledge at the Society and I quickly became very passionate about whisky".

Your job title is 'Sensory Whisky Creator', which is the title to end all titles! Clearly, whisky involves the key senses. Have you had to hone yours over time to detect the many components in a whisky?

"Yes – I suppose I have ‘honed’ my nose through practice. It’s just like a muscle that needs to be exercised to be fit. I have learned to build my vocabulary of language so I can describe whisky in a creative way. As an artist my senses are sensitive – I tend to always notice the light, the texture of materials, the flavours of food etc and naturally and my sense of smell is a hugely important sense".

As a male dominated industry, whisky has tended to find much greater favour with male taste profiles. How active are you in developing flavour profiles, which perhaps draw more females to the spirit?

"In my experience it is difficult to generalise with taste profiles and gender. The world over I’ve been surprised by young women drinking very smoky whiskies or sherried whiskies which are supposedly the preserve of male drinkers. I’ve also met plenty of men who enjoy honeyed and floral whiskies, so I think all the rules are there to be broken! Our whiskies are created to be enjoyed by everyone".

How important is science in the process of marrying together different whiskies to create a great single malt - and how much do you believe is down to instinct?

"Science is useful in providing some of the background ‘understanding’ as to what may, or may not work. However, at the end of the day our whisky is going to be judged by drinkers’ noses and palates, so the instinctive, artistic side is more crucial here".

Working with Dr Bill Lumsden must have taught you a huge amount! How much leeway does your team get in creating new products, which will become the future classics in ‘tomorrows' Glenmorangie range?

"Working with Bill was on the top of my list when I applied for this post – and I’ve not been disappointed! He is an inspirational person to work with – full of energy and brimming with knowledge. As a team we have sessions where we collaborate our ideas. Both Bill and Rachel (Barrie) are chemists, whereas I’m an artist so the combination of our knowledge is interesting!
Be reassured – there are plenty of interesting experiments gently maturing in our warehouses….!! (this last part had us getting very excited indeed... ed)

Glenmorangie have undisputedly, one of the best wood policies across the industry. How much has this affected the current whiskies you are creating and will this become trickier as great wood stocks become depleted?

"We are exceptionally proud of our record and Bill can take much of the credit for this. Glenmorangie has always led the way with understanding the importance of good wood and the influence it has on the spirit. We need to educate whisky drinkers that much of the character of their whisky is due to the quality of the cask in which it has matured and not necessarily the age of the spirit. Because of the nurtured relationship between Bill and his cooperages we are assured to always receive the best that they can offer. We’re confident that our wood policy is one of the strongest in the industry".

You must have found some truly ‘desert island casks’ when searching through the company’s inventory – anything you’ve wanted to run off with?

"I’ve been exceptionally lucky to drink some beautiful drams in my whisky life time. The best have been shared with my father or friends. I’ve never regretted cracking open a bottle and sharing it – that’s what great whisky is for".

You travel a lot and meet many whisky fans- do the palates of drinkers differ over in say, the far east, compared to their European counterparts?

"There are always surprises – for instance the young ladies in Asia love our Lasanta that has a richness of sherry influence. They drink it neat or sometimes with a little ice. There are some strange drinking practices in Thailand and Korea – they sink a bomb of spirit into a glad of beer and swig it down in one. We have a lot of education to do here! The Nordics love their phenolic whisky.

Finally, for you, what’s the most perfect way to enjoy a fine dram -describe the settings!

"I love camping on the west coast or one of the Scottish Islands. The tent would be pitched overlooking the sea on a fine summers evening with no midges. Langoustines in the pan and a fine dram of Airigh Nam Beist to wash it down - heaven! "

Thanks very much to Annabel for her time and we look forward to hearing about/tasting some of those 'interesting experiements' at some point soon!!

A signal of things to come??...

Wow. Tans don't last long do they? barely a day and my finely cultivated Portuguese sun blush is already starting to fade with this dismal London drizzle. We're quite aware that here at Caskstrength.net that we start lots of postings discussing the weather, but we make no apologies. Clearly, it has a huge impact on our state of mind and the whiskies we love. Seriously, Portugal's weather was a complete refreshment for the soul and the last week spent in Porto, with many a fine vintage Tawny in ones hand has not only done wonders for the skin but also for the mind. Considering our collective knowledge was relatively limited in the production of wonderful port bottlings, it was good to take a little break from whisky and learn a few proper facts. But given a cellar, crammed with casks full of exceptional liquid, your mind tends to wander a little. Thoughts like, " I wonder where this empty cask will end up?" sprang to mind and you kick yourself for thinking, maybe a distillery will finish something cheeky in it... well, maybe they will??

This leads nicely onto the first foray back into whisky - banishing the memories Vila Nova De Gaia into the ether. Last night we were lucky enough to try the newly-launched Glenmorangie Signet for the first time.

Signet is apparently a project that Dr Bill Lumsden has been developing since as far back as 1984, from his days working in the brewing business. At the heart of the whisky lies its unique proposition- 'chocolate malt'- a curious dark, toasted grain slowly cooked at around 250 degrees Centigrade, which imparts a richness into the spirit. We're also told that it is based on a mixture of ex-oloroso casks and a touch of virgin oak, containing older and younger whiskies.

With its highly lavish packaging, the smoked glass bottle, ludicrously weighty stopper and 'flick book of clouds and bottle shots'- (yes, we did just type that) our hopes were high, albeit slightly concerned. To be honest, the last Glenmorangie tasting we wrote about was a mixed affair, the wonderful Astar leading the way to the winning post and the not-so-wonderful Lasanta and Quinta Ruban clearly bring up the rear. Will the Signet make us pine for those wonderfully heady casks we so reluctantly left behind in Porto? lets see....

Glenmorangie Signet - NAS - 46% - 70cl

Nose: Masses of over-ripe banana, fresh ginger, mint, orange blossom and hints of smoke. A classy start then, with all the usual Glenmorangie spice to match. Almost a 'whisky mac' feel to it and the toasty, spicy influence of the chocolate malt is very much evident.

Palate: Pepper, espresso coffee and leather all hit your tastebuds on the first sip, with a minty floral note developing afterwards. Again, the spices and citrus are also present.

Finish: Lingering ginger and dark chocolate notes, leading to a reasonably lengthy finish.

Overall: This is a highly drinkable whisky and Dr Lumsden's team should be commended for their constant devotion to the development of great wood and innovative experiments. Our only slight gripe is its lofty price tag (around £120) which makes us wonder quite how much was spent on just developing the packaging, let alone the whisky. This will no doubt go down very well in the newer markets (especially the Far East) but for us, it just seems a touch unnecessary. There's something to be said for real simplicity at its best, which may have been overlooked a tad here- but all in all, a fine example of Glenmorangie.

'Mor(angie) than meets the eye??

Firstly- apologies for the puns.  Perhaps this one was a step too far but in this instance it feels like we're writing the lyrics to a song and nothing rhymes with 'orange'!!

A few reviews ago, our guest caskstrengther' Tim gave a glowing write up to the new Glenmorangie Astar and we wholeheartedly agreed with his findings- the marvelous sweet marzipan and spicy ginger on the nose, followed up with the spicy and peppery palate- a worthy successor to the discontinued Artisan Cask.

Recently, Caskstrength attended a tasting of 6 'Glenmorangie expressions, led by the incredibly knowledgeable  and passionate Dr Bill Lumsden. The depth of Bill's search for the finest wood was enormously impressive and gave weight to his expectations from the new Astar.  But would it hold its own against some of the more established bottlings? lets find out...

Glenmorangie 'Original' - 10 years old - 40% vol - 70cl

As this is essentially a relaunch of the 10 year old, one wouldn't expect that much difference to the original bottlings we have previously tried:

Nose: Mandarin oranges, followed by hints of marshmallow, lemon and lime boiled sweets, backed up with nice light notes of vanilla, lily and lavender.  

Palate: An opening of oak sets the scene with coconut, honey and a slight spiciness of paprika grabbing your attention.  

Finish: More sweetness with a fine note of vanilla ice cream, ginger and honey nut cornflakes developing as the finish subsides. 

Overall:  A cracking start to the tasting- this 'entry level' 'Morangie does not disappoint.

Glenmorangie 'Lasanta' - no age statement - NCF- 46% vol - 70cl 

Our second dram and we're onto Lasanta- in Gaelic meaning 'Warmth and Passion'- strong words to follow??

Nose:  Immediate sulphury notes, mandarin orange, dry sherry and rubber.  Sure it's obvious that this has been matured in sherry, but it's a fairly unpleasant start.

Palate: Dates, spices and cereal notes- a better development from the nose, but the rubberiness returns to dominate.

Finish: More of the dry sherry on the death. Neither particularly long or enjoyable.  

Overall: A very disappointing dram- we're fans of great sherried whiskies - Aberlour's A'bunadh shines with sweetness and depth, (albeit at cask strength) but this isn't on the same playing field. 

Glenmorangie 'Quinta Ruban' - no age statement - NCF - 46% vol - 70cl 

You'll notice a similar theme emerging here- in this modern day of marketing and strategy, the relaunch has proved popular at re-introducing us to the same products we are already used to. In this instance, 'Quinta Ruban' represents the relaunch of the old 'Glenmorangie Portwood finish.  we weren't particularly a fan of this the first time round, so will we be inclined to change our opinion?

Nose: Musty notes immediately dominate (ever held your cat up close and given him/her a good snuggle?- a similar wiff is apparent here) then hints of rum, coffee and chocolate become more prevalent - not unpleasant but strange.

Palate: Big sweetness, in a dark brown sugar way, then punching through with cedar, dryness and spiced dried vine fruits.  More dark chocolate flows onto the tongue at the death.

Finish: Lighter, more herbal notes become apparent here, followed by some more of that cedar'y dryness.  

Overall:  A step up from the first time we tasted the portwood.  This is a very drinkable whisky, but you can't help wondering what it would be like if bottled at a slightly higher %?

Glenmorangie 'Nectar D'or' - (10 years ex bourbon barrel, finished 2 years in sauternes cask) - no age statement - 46% vol - NCF

Another re-branding excersise here with this bottling essentially replacing the old Sauternes finish.

Nose: Licorice, delicate spiced notes and a very pleasingly fragrant nutmeg aroma.  Pretty much all the best characters of a superb sauternes then...

Palate: A slight touch of coffee about the arrival, followed by by dry flavoursome vine fruits, macaroons and fresh and fruity white wine.

Finish: Swift and light, but not at all unexpected.  

Overall: An fairly enjoyable and light dram - with hints of hidden depth, especially in the very pleasing nose.

So, onto our last tasting of the night and it's something a little of piste- an older expression which promises to round out the evening with aplomb!

Glenmorangie 25 year old ' Quarter Century' bottling - 43% vol - 70cl

We're given a slight insight into this rarity before diving in- part of the maturation process has been accomplished in Burgundy barrels, hopefully giving this the delicate spiced notes of a first-class grand cru.

Nose: Fragrant rosewater mixes with cinnamon, cedarwood, luscious creamy chocolate, dried cherries and marzipan.  Pretty much all our favourite aromas in one glass.  

Palate: More of that cinnamon but backed up with juicy cherries and other berry fruits. The presence of great wine notes are very much in evidence here. 

Finish: Very smooth, rich and lengthy, with a creaminess coming through.  Also more surprisingly is the feint notes of Japanese plum wine and ground coffee on the death.   

Overall:  This is an incredibly well balanced whisky, that shows no signs of excess age and only the craft of bringing together an extremely good spirit and quality wood.  

All and all, a mixed evening.  The quality of the original, coupled with the great experience of the 25 year old balance out the disappointment the other repackaged expressions which just don't hang together as well as they perhaps should.  

Astar is Born (or The Whisky World's Most Over Used Headline)

Glenmorangie remove their Artisan 50cl, 46% Vol bottling (which is rather bloody good) and replace it with the new Astar. Here are some early tasting note of this new, 100% proof offering:

Glanmorangie - Astar - OB - NAS - 70cl - 57.1%

Nose: Ginger, citrus, tweed, paprika, black pepper, becomes very deep with smoky vanilla. Maybe it's the power of suggestion, but the oak is very noticeable - polished wood, like an expensive bookcase. More masculine and intense than the old Artisan, but you'd expect that from the higher abv. Water opens up more sweet notes, natural caramel or butter toffee.

Palate: Carries on from the nose. Big, assertive and very bourbony. Exceptionally spicy & peppery but with compensating sweet creamy vanilla. Big mouth-filling weight - quite macho. With water, much more approachable though still very spicy.

Finish: Immense. Very long and warming, with tingling spices that last an eon. My mouth was still burning (in a good way) several minutes after the swallow.

Overall: If you're a committed sherryhead or you don't like oaky stuff or spicy food - avoid. Everyone else will love it. Very much of the same breed as the original Artisan cask, but less gentle - much more powerful and concentrated. An epic dram that needs a drop or two of water to really shine.

Notes by Tim.

Head's up! Caskstrength.net new "10 minute dram with..." series kicks off.

‘The 10-minute dram with’…. Michael ‘Mickey’ Heads, distillery manager of Ardbeg:

A Caskstrength.net first- here; in a new series we interview some of the stars behind the stars, or the men/women behind the great whiskies we all know and love. We caught up with Michael Heads, distillery manager at Ardbeg, before a busy Feis Ile open day needed his attention!!


What does the festival mean to you as distillery manager and as an islander?

Well Feis' time is a big pull for all the distilleries and the islanders, which has now been going in this format for around 10 years. It has grown to a level where the Island is full of whisky enthusiasts and allows the distilleries to open up the doors and do things a little bit differently from the day to day business. It’s a 2 way process which allows whisky fans to come and talk to us – they’re all brand ambassadors and every year people return with new fans, so word of mouth is a great thing for the distillery.

What’s your background in the distillery business?

I’m in my 29th year now, starting out at Laphroaig in 1979, cutting peats and doing odd jobs for 10 years at the distillery. In 1989 I was made assistant brewer at the distillery, which I did for a further 10 years. I moved to Jura as the distillery manager in 1999 and then from there to Ardbeg in 2007.

What has been the biggest impact to the whisky business over your career so far?

Well the period of the early 1980s had produced the most change, where it was really crunch time for distilleries, especially on Islay where production slowed down and distilleries closed. It was the late 1980’s where there was more of a focus towards single malt, especially on Islay and its been growing steadily over the last 7 years with the distinctive flavour making a real connection with fans. In a recent report we’re seeing that Islay production has been growing faster than that of the other regions across Scotland. At Ardbeg, about 75% of our whisky now goes towards single malt, the other 25% directly into blending, for instance the Chivas blends.

Is there a good camaraderie between the Islay distilleries?

We know everyone in the business based on the island as it’s such a small community and have always helped one another out when there’s problems – if there’s parts that distilleries need to keep going we’ll exchange them etc. [the recent water shortage in the lochs being prime example of all distilleries being affected by bigger problems] In the end it’s always about the whisky that we make and are involved with that’s the best bit [he says with a smile!].

It’s interesting to see the old technology that goes into the manufacture of great whisky, prime example being the antiquated Robert Bobe Mill still used by Ardbeg...

It dates from about 1913 and works as well today as it ever has- it mills around 2 tonnes an hour still. They last a long time if you look after them – that’ll be here for another hundred years hopefully! [It is interesting to note that the Bobe company actually went out of business because their machines were so well made, no one needed any spares!!]

How have you found working with a bigger organisation (Glenmorangie) with regard to your traditional approaches? Have they perhaps been diminished or encouraged as a result?

I think we’ve really been encouraged to carry on with what we’re doing, we’ve got a really good product and we’ve got a great company in Glenmorangie that’s invested money into the plant. We have a good wood policy, which mirrors that of Glenmorangie who are recognised for their excellence and innovation. It’s great for our staff to see the growth of the distillery from what it used to be into somewhere that’s flourishing so well for the future.

Will you be capitalising on the emerging markets and developing more expressions- especially in the Far East and Eastern Europe?

Well in addition to the core range with the 10 year old, Uigeadail and Airigh Nam Beist we’re always looking for new products- the Ardbeg Committee in particular drives this; we get one new bottling out and we’re always asked when and what the next is going to be. We’re in the fortunate position at Ardbeg where we can sell more than we can supply at the minute, which can be good and bad at the same time! But certainly people are always keen on the mythical aura surrounding it and its reputation is spreading around the world. The 10 year old was this year voted Best whisky in the world in ‘Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible’ and people are now wanting to know more about the other bottlings in the range- from the limited edition single casks to anticipation about what’s coming next.

How much do you get involved in the creative aspects when a new expression is released?

Our master distiller Bill Lumsden has the final say in the creation of new products but we get encouraged to look for new ideas. We do a lot of the background work like getting the samples over to Bill and highlight anything extra special. Our warehouses are like an Aladdins cave of great casks and sometimes you don’t know what you’re going to find- it’s great to discover something really special or get an idea when something is going to be perfectly matured, that’s one of the most interesting things about the job.

Finally, your ‘all time favourite’ drams of choice?

Honestly, when you’ve worked in places for so long you obviously forge strong connections, so from my 20 years at Laphroaig, I’d have to say the 10 year old cask strength is a great whisky. Also from the Isle of Jura because of my career there I’d also have to say the original bottling of the 21 year old is a drink that I really love and at Ardbeg either the 10 year old, Uigeadail or if I can find one the 1977 release! (Caskstrength’s favourite bottling too- yeaaaah!!)

And on that meeting of minds and palates, we leave Michael to make the final preparations for the all-important open day and his very special ‘Managers Tasting’, which allows the public to share in his passion and taste some truly great whiskies at the same time.
Slainte,  Mickey!!