Tastes

N: Rich, thick, creamy with figs, butterscotch, raisins. P: dried fruit, oily, brown sugar, cinnamon. F: black pepper, sweet, slight cherry tartness. This is a good sherry heavy malt that has a rich chewiness that belies its somewhat young 10 years.

Light, bright and a delight. N: green apples, lemongrass, honeysuckle, ocean air. P: Apples, fennel, cider vinegar, maybe a little oyster brine. F: crisp, dry, sav blanc, and refreshing. For me, this is the single malt to reach for on a warm day when you might crave a gin and tonic or white wine.

I received a 375ml bottle as a gift from a friend whose play I did lighting design. Gift whisky is best whisky. N: Sweet aromas of apple, candied nuts, honey. P: Thin on the palate with hot cereal, toast, honey, black tea. F: quick finish, slight sugar and spice. Nothing special but a decent entry and introduction to Speyside malts.

TBH my first wiff on the nose was of juicy fruit gum: bright, slightly chemical sweetness. But it backs off to a pleasant aroma of banana bread, peanut oil, and orange. Plenty of bright citrus zest on the palate, followed by buttery shortbread, slight honey sweetness. Finish is pretty quick and quiet. This is an enjoyable Irish dram, with enough to distinguish it from most to be worth trying. I wouldn't necessarily add it to my permanent shelf.

N: Fresh green grains, hay, apricot, apple, touch of mineral. P: Cream, melon, gentle spice, honey, dried fruit. F: whisper quiet finish, sweet tea, dried fruit, hint of curry spices. I really think score ought to be higher: a light fruity malt with 12 year age statement. Enough complexity to be enjoyed, and can be had very inexpensively.

Third of the extra matured line from Glenmorangie, and I definitely saved the best for last. This expression best preserves the character of the Original 10 year while artfully enhancing it. N: Restrained fruit on the nose like you might get with a white wine, oatmeal, honey, and currants. P: Medium sweetness, honey, citrus oil, slightly tannic, golden raisins, tea, slightly herbal. F: gentle finish, with the grapes and mild oak presence lingering.

This is the second from the extra matured line from Glenmorangie I've tried, and I do like this one more. Pungent nose of tropical fruits and peach, brown sugar, grainy bread and butter. Palate is less sweet than expected. The expected berries and round nuttiness, but there's a vein of dark cocoa and coffee grounds bitterness too. A gentle note of spice. Finish has the cocoa nib bitterness, a bit of honey, and the berry tartness.

It may be the case that the additional two years in the Sherry cask are just too much for the 10 year original juice. I remember an episode that ralfy posted a couple years ago critiquing a sherry finished malt in which the cloak of Sherry influence completely took over any other character in the malt, and that's what happened here. Very sweet nose of grape must, raisins, light brown sugar, balsamic. Very sweet palate of similar notes, slightly cloying. Quick finish. This is so off balance from the weighty sherry cask. Even though the 10 year is a fairly quiet and soft whisky, I'd take its superior balance and more moderate sweetness over this one.

N: Tangy pineapple, citrus zest, mineral oil, a gentle touch smoke, lemon cake. P: Shortbread, marmalade, candied ginger, slight peat funk, saltwater taffy. Long rumbling finish of mineral and lemon tang, berry tart, and wood influence. Subtle dessert qualities, but dry relative to the entry. The 14 years haven't blunted the coastal influence on this, but those bright astringent and salty aspects have been married nicely with the rich dessert notes from the bourbon barrel.

N: sherry influence is obvious on the nose with dried apricots, cranberry, curry spices, raisins, and rich nuttiness. There is also a slight mineral quality. P: Rich fruit in spades...raisins, plums, honey, subtle oak presence, cardamom, mild spice and pepper. F: The honey sweetness is chased by dry tart frutiness. Tangy. Hint of chili pepper. Very good, perhaps not as rounded as other sherry barrel malts, but very tasty.