Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate 15 Year (Batch #1)

One of the best expressions of Glenmorangie I've ever tasted (and I've tasted a LOT of them!). If you are a Glenmorangie fan you will love this. Delicious!

Drammers club pour. Fully matured in first fill bourbon casks. Very good. Nose: Caramel, Oranges, Vanilla, Honey, Apricots, Bananas, Coconuts, Chamomile, Lavender, Brown Butter, White Chocolate, Papaya, Lemons, Pineapples Palate: Honey, Chocolate, Caramel, Bananas, Oranges, Walnuts, Pepper, Pineapples, Vanilla, Brown Butter, Lavdender Finish: Orange, Apricots, Vanilla, Caramel, Makuna Honey, Peaches

This largely US exclusive uses the same local barley as Glenmorangie’s Alltar special release, but while that one showcased a bespoke yeast this bottling utilizes the distiller’s usual one. As such, it’s a more typical representation of what barley grown on Glenmorangie’s own land brings to the table, if you’re in the camp that thinks variations in barley make a difference. The first-fill bourbon barrels give it a creamy nose and the barley shines with a crispy maltness. But it’s all rather generic and one-note and it’s not clear what an extra five years in the barrel have added to Glenmorangie’s baseline profile. Perhaps a higher ABV would help, but this one’s too bland for me.

Rich, spicy, and sweet. Caramel, honey, and orange notes. Oak barrels come through in the nose. Not quite on par with the Quinta Ruban, but still another winner from GM. (AT)