LeeEvolved
Glenmorangie Milsean
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
December 15, 2016 (edited August 5, 2017)
After a cold night at work and heading into my only weekend off for the entire month of December, it's time to open something new. I've got a few more smoked scotch open right now so I need to balance the bar a bit. Time for something non-Macallan, and sweet. The Glenmorangie Milsean Private Edition. It comes in at a robust 92 proof and if I recall correctly I paid just over $100 online for this bottle back in the spring of 2016.
It's a vibrant, golden yellow and leaves very oily, long legs in the tasting glass. The nose seems very familiar- lots of candied corn, cotton candy and vanilla and it's so sweet there's no oak barrel left to detect. It smells like an above average, American bourbon. Interesting.
The first sip is more candy corn and milky powdered sugar that hangs onto the tongue for what seems like an eternity. I think I felt a new cavity forming. This is way too sweet. The finish does bring a bit of a welcoming burn of toasted oak to wash all the candy away, but even that seems a little muted. Just a quick flash of heat and oak and then it winds out with more sugary residue clinging to the tongue. It's so ridiculous that it seems like artificial sweetener- and not at all in a good way.
I added a bit of water (more than just a drop) to see if I can break the sweetness up and reveal something else- it did nothing to the nose, but did allow the oak to come through a bit more on the tongue and finish. Thankfully.
Final thoughts are that maybe this is their impression of an American bourbon, but based on the high price point and the fake tasting candied profile, it is a fail. There are $30 bourbons in this country that would beat this whisky on the playground and steal it's lunch money.
Sadly, this is another dud IMO from 'Morangie. I'm at the point with this place that I only want small doses of Quintan Ruban and La Santa going forward. I've spent a decent amount of money on this distillery and I've had too many duds to recommend them and no desire to try their new offerings. Live and learn, I guess. 2.75 stars. Cheers, friends.
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(Everyone else is weighing in, so why not...) Quinta Ruban is the only 'morangie bottling I've found thoroughly enjoyable, but I'm a sucker for Port finishes, (the berries, oh the berries...) I'll post some thoughts on Tayne soon, which is enjoyable, but also suffers from a certain lack of depth.
For me, I have always found GM average, middle of the road and never could muster up the same enthusiasm like those who do enjoy their lineup. To each their own.
The regular 10 year, Nectar D' Or and especially the "extremely rare" 18 year old all left me scratching my head. Another friend said the main thing GM had going for it was a very clean taste. Well, sign me up for more dirty stuff then if the clean stuff is this bland and one dimensional. That said, the Milsean has to be the worst of what I've had from GM and until someone provides me a free sample or two of some great juice I'm done giving them my money. I'd start elsewhere.
Good to hear your thoughts on the Milsean. I've wondered about it, but feared that it would too sweet without anything else to commend it. Guess I'll go spend my money on other, better things!
Great review. I would not even consider to buy this NAS Glenmorangie - but even the 18-year old expression left me rather unimpressed.
I could've saved a long-winded review and just used your one-liner, Pranay. A bourbon wannabe. Exactly what this is.
Ironic---I thought the same of this whisky-----why pay premium for a bourbon-wanna-be?