Glenmorangie Lasanta Sherry Cask Finish 12 Year

Nose - Light pears, fresh red berries, hint of spiced honey, caramelized sugar. Taste - Lightly fruity bitter, like orange pith soaked in a apple/pear cider made from just skins/cores, bright berry notes, faint black pepper spice. Finish - Lingering fruity bitter sweetness, hint of black pepper spice. Score - 78/100 Final Thoughts - I really wanted to really like this since I'm normally a fan of sherried Scotch, but for some reason this had this underlying bitterness that was a bit unpleasant. I can tolerate some bitterness in my whisky, but only if it's done right? A bit difficult to explain but there can be a nice balance between bitter and sweet and this is just a tiny bit off. The nose is very pleasant, but it falls a bit flat on the palate and the bitterness is a bit distracting.

This scotch is another example from the wide range of unusual and surprising outcomes of sherry finishing.  Here, the sherry finishing somehow transforms this scotch into something that resembles other liquors.  The nose is exactly like dark rum, much spicier than a typical scotch, but complemented by a healthy dose of oak, honey glaze, varnish, and some other bourbon-like scents.  There is a layer of raisins underneath that is more of a typical sherry note.  The palate reveals the Glenmorangie Original underlying this dram (Lasanta is the classic 10-year Original, with an additional two years of aging in sherry butts).  It has vanilla in spades, the signature Glenmorangie floral note, and is much lighter, although there are some darker, fruitier sherry notes.  The finish is a combination of berry and cherry, and longer than the Original. I like this better than the star system here indicates, it's a solid 3.5 for me.

Lasanta- nose: honey like the regular, hint of fruit, floral. Taste: much like the regular: sweet, honey, but this has added spice and a little fruitiness, more vanilla, not as good as the smooth creamy honey of the original. Finishes a little dry. Good, but I like the Original & the Quinta better.