The tall tall stills of Glenmorangie; standing at 8 meters high, the distillery boasts the tallest pot stills in all of Scotland. A taller still means higher reflux ratio and more exposure to the still's copper walls; in turn, this means a lighter, more refined distillate. Combine this with no sherry cask maturation or finishing and you get the pale gold, archetypical Highland whisky that is Glenmorangie's The Original. On the nose, be patient - this dram has elegance and presents with nuance to be explored. Discover notes of freshly washed and cubed fruits, sprinkled with vanilla dust, cinnamon, and brown sugar, then left to rest for the fruits to first absorb and then release an aromatic fruit salad dressing. On top of that, malted barley, light honey and the herbal notes of heather. The palate is sweet but light, consistent with the nose's presentation. Only, the fruit salad is now replaced by sweet and tarty green apple pie, cinnamon and nutmeg. The sweetness continues but with a light burn sensation at the back end, nothing too nuanced, rather short and simple like orange blossom honey sprinkled with white pepper, which then quickly disappears. The unremarkable and short finish leaves you expectant of the next sniff and sip. Overall, this 10 year-old is a solid dram, and just like that dependable friend of yore, will always be counted upon to deliver as promised.