Glenmorangie has unveiled a 12 Year Old Malaga Cask Finish Whisky. The new small-batch offering is the latest limited edition from the Highlands distillery to be finished in rare casks.
The concept for Glenmorangie Malaga Cask Finish came from Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Whisky Creation at the distillery, who dreamt of “the luscious tastes” sweet, fortified wine casks from southern Spain would bring to the Scotch. The Whisky spent its first eight years in ex-Bourbon barrels, before spending another four years finishing in the ex-Malaga casks. Lumsden chose Malaga Dulce, which is a wine known for its high residual sugar content, casks for the finish.
Dr Bill said: “The honeyed aromas and fruity, chocolatey tastes of Glenmorangie Malaga Cask Finish take me straight to the sun-kissed south of Spain, where Malaga’s famed fortified wines are made, said Lumsden. “By finishing our soft, creamy whisky in Malaga ‘dulce’ casks, we’ve created an indulgently sweet and rich small-batch single malt. Our Barrel Select Release is delicious treat for whisky lovers old and new.”
The chestnut-colored Whisky offers sweet and rich aromas with notes of honey, mead, toffee, baking bread and a hint of fragrant tea leaves. There is a subtle, perfumed top note, like stewed herbs and red fruits, and the suggestion of milk chocolate or cocoa powder. The palate features a rich, oily texture that leads to an explosion of flavors – sultanas, raisins, dates, tangy mandarin orange, milk chocolate, honey and more brown sugar. The finish is described as long, mellow and nutty, with hints of hazelnut, honey and gentle oak.
After four years of finishing, Dr Bill was astonished by the whisky’s extraordinarily rich flavors. In July 2020, he hand-selected the very best of these casks to be bottled for the Distillery’s Barrel Select Release.
Bottled at 47.3% ABV, Glenmorangie Malaga Cask Finish will be available from selected retailers as well as Clos19 for the price of £75 ($99 USD).
Back in September, Glenmorangie unveiled its newest expression, A Tale of Cake. The limited edition Whisky is the result of Lumsden experimenting with Tokaji dessert wine casks. As part of the release, the Highlands distillery teamed up with pastry chef Dominique Ansel to create a “caketail.”