Glenmorangie is a Highland distillery situated north of Inverness, not far exterior the city of Tain in Ross & Cromarty. It’s a 40 minute automotive journey and a pleasant journey alongside the Cromarty firth previous Teannninich and Dalmore distilleries.
I have at all times felt a kind of affinity for the model. My household has connections with Tain, and a cousin of mine constructed a reasonably grand mansion near the distillery. Named Morangie Home, it remained within the household till the Nineteen Sixties and its now a nicely-presented resort inside strolling distance of the Glenmorangie distillery.
The distillery itsself started life as a farm brewery – generally known as Morangie Brewery – within the 1700s. It was ultimately bought and transformed to a distillery within the 1840s, renamed Glenmorangie. The frequent Morangie element of all these names comes from the small stream generally known as Morangie Burn.
Whereas we’re speaking in regards to the title, let’s tackle the elephant within the room: pronunciation. Glenmorangie is a kind of distilleries/manufacturers that I believe simply accepts the wrong pronunciation, to an extent the fallacious has nearly turn out to be the norm. For the purists, and within the easiest type, simply consider the second a part of the title sounding just like the fruity style “Orangie” so: glen-MORR-an-JEE. Belief me: even in dialog I discover myself slipping throughout the completely different types of the title!
Like many Scottish distilleries, possession has modified quite a lot of occasions over its lifetime. At this time, (and since 2004) the model is owned by the French holding firm Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton. With that possession got here some branding modifications and a brand new bottle form. These modifications did little to detract from its picture and its liquid product stays a very talked-about Highland malt. The expressions they produce are reasonably in depth with a core vary, status vary, non-public assortment vary, and quite a lot of different collections. It’s from its hottest and available core choice that in the present day’s dram comes from.
This dram was initially a 12 12 months outdated expression with a 46% ABV, with a ten 12 months bourbon maturation and a two 12 months Sauternes end. For the unfamiliar: Sauternes is a French wine from Bordeaux. it’s produced by permitting inexperienced/white grapes to nearly attain a rot-like state on the vine, this therapy of the grapes permits them to turn out to be nearly raisined, inflicting the fruit to have a excessive focus of sugar. It’s candy and also known as honey-like. Some name it a dessert wine; the wine may be costly and may be present in very outdated vintages.
In 2019 Glenmorangie started a transition and the Nectar d’Or turned a non age assertion launch, nonetheless at 46% ABV. As we all know, this transfer usually permits producers to launch youthful whiskies faster, and might usually be a inventory manipulation tactic. The size of the unique maturation and Sauternes end are actually slightly unclear; maybe given slightly time extra data will turn out to be obtainable.
Glenmorangie Nectar d’Or – Evaluate
Color: Splendid vivid gold.
On the nostril: I’ve tried a number of Sauternes matured or completed whiskies and at all times discover them to be heavy on the citrus notes. This has that additionally, maybe leaning extra towards the lemon component. There’s a good, candy vanilla custard, maybe on a heat sugary pie crust, slightly ginger and fruity
Within the mouth: The custard on the nostril is now getting poured over a steamed syrup pudding, and on the similar time there’s a crème brulee with demerara sugar gently toasting underneath the grill, silky mouth really feel. Lingering and candy end.
Conclusions:
I’ve tried each the 12 12 months outdated model and this non age assertion expression. Its arduous to do a comparability over a two 12 months separation, however from my reminiscence and notes I wrote on the time the final soul of this dram could be very a lot nonetheless current, I believe. Possibly it’s simply my head taking part in methods on me, however this dram feels youthful and I believe I most well-liked the model with a confirmed age assertion… however that would simply be a trick of the thoughts. It’s a sound, competent whisky. Some could also be postpone by the over-referenced sweetness, however it’s that by design. For round £55 it no financial institution breaker and is a pleasant dram to sip. Have I had higher Sauternes-matured whiskies? I believe I’ve. Did I get pleasure from it? Sure. Remorse shopping for it? No.
