geologyjane
Glenmorangie Nectar D'or 12 Year
Single Malt — Highlands, Scotland
Reviewed
September 2, 2019 (edited September 8, 2019)
I didn’t know when I picked up a bottle of the 12 yo Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or month’s ago that it might be my first and last go at it. I enjoy trying out alternative casks and reviews seemed positive enough to seek it out.
First impressions, this does seem a bit over packaged (the other “Extra-Matured” offerings don’t seem to suffer from that). But I suppose that’s part of vividly marketing the prestige of the Sauternes casks employed here. I usually see this type of packaging for 18 yo+.
I typically don’t remark on the color of the dram because so often it’s been unnaturally tinkered with. (And while I’m at it, there are a lot more qualified folks to wax poetic about most spirits out there so I find these reviews are nice touchstones for myself to remind me of my impressions and details I liked/didn’t like about a particular pour.)
The nose: sweet lime, apricots, lemon scones, and light-grade honey.
On the palate, it’s a medium-bodied pleaser. Notes of lemon, ginger, honeycomb, and dessert (lemon pie?). What really impresses me is the bright acidity that balances the sweetness and oaky tannins. A sweet, tangy, and lightly-spiced finish. 92 proof is a nice touch too. I haven’t tasted many whiskies in a similar vein.
All in all, I really enjoyed this well-balanced offering from Glenmorangie, and I’m very curious to see how it stacks up against the new NAS offering. The fact that I am debating squirreling an “old” bottle away betrays how enjoyable this is for a summertime dram. Solid and delicious.
4.0 ~ 87 ~ Great
65.0
USD
per
Bottle
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It took some searching and phone calls, but I finally tracked down one of the old Glenmorangie sampler packs that includes 100ml bottles of The Original 10yo, Nectar d’Or 12yo, Lasanta 12yo, and Quinta Ruban 12yo for $29. I am hoping that they will release an equivalent sampler pack of 100ml bottles with the revamped extra-matured range so I can compare them side-by-side. To be continued, but at least I have samples of the old stuff now.
@geologyjane I think they’re getting rid of the age statement on this one
@WhiskeyLonghorn - This reminds me I need to revisit Quinta Ruban. They bumped the age statement up to 14 yo and its looks like it might be getting even better reviews now. If you happen to compare the two, let us know!
Excellent review! I’ve been seeing this one pop up in my feed more lately. I wasn’t initially a fan but might be time to revisit. I’ve always drifted more towards the Quinta Ruban, but you’ve made a compelling case for this one. Cheers!
@Rick_M - Appreciate it! It seemed time to have a more formal way of saving my thoughts. Looking forward to seeing what everyone else is trying too. :)
@geologyjane - nice reviews! Keep up the good work.