Thanks to my friend Randa (check out her amazing site here), I received an invite to do a Glenmorangie tasting and workshop with Global Brand Ambassador Karen Fullerton who just happened to be in town (for the first time) for 24-hours in October. Although I’ve had Glenmorangie many times as they have been the wonderful sponsor of Whiskey Wisemen for a number of years now, it was an enlightening experience to talk business, branding and life with Karen as we indulged in five of the Glenmorangie expressions.
Before I go further, just a quick tip: want to know how to pronounce “Glenmorangie” properly? Remember this! The label is “orange” or “orangey” in colour as is the predominant aroma/flavour of their range. Therefore, it is “glen-mor-angey” or as Karen often says, “you put the orangey in more-angey, to make it Glenmorangie.”
Now speaking of aromas/flavours, one of the challenges that new whisk(e)y drinkers tend to have is identifying scents/tastes of whiskies. They know that it “tastes good” but can’t quite define in more detail what the taste is. I personally am working developing my taste and scent recognition and one way that I have been able to remember some of the key flavour profiles in the Glenmorangie range is with the help of their branding.
While there is a general consistency in the look of the bottles (other than of course their super premium options like the Signet), the colours of the labels have helped me personally to remember key flavour notes for each of their expressions.
Below are some of the key aromas/flavours of the Glenmorangie range as well as some flavour map visualizations. Feel free to share them with your friends.
Glenmorangie Original
(Orange Label): Mandarin, Lemon, Apple, Pear + Peach, Vanilla, Honeysuckle + Ginger
Glenmorangie Lasanta (Purple/Burgundy Label): Chocolate Covered Raisins, Honeycomb, Caramel Toffee, Spanish Sherry, Sultanas, Hazelnuts, Dates + Orange
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (Black Label): Dark Chocolate, Mint Chocolate, Walnuts, Nutmeg + Mandarin Oranges
Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or (Beige/Sandy Label): Sugary Pastries, Lemon Meringue, Warm Ginger, Coconut + Creme Caramel
Glenmorangie Signet (Gold/Chocolate Label): Plum Pudding, Chocolate Torte, Butterscotch Sauce, Baked Apricots, Cherry, Cinnamon, Dried Fruits + Nuts
For those of you who are unseasoned single malt scotch drinkers, looking to pick up a bottle for your home collection, Glenmorangie is a great introductory scotch. At $68 a bottle at BC Liquor stores, it won’t break the bank and is fairly crisp, clean and sweet which comes from having some of the tallest, thinnest pot stills of any distillery. The tall stills cause the heavier, oily flavour substances to remain in the pot during distillation and allows the lighter alcohols to emerge resulting in a smooth and light whisky.
Below are some of the photos from my tasting with Karen Fullerton!
xoxo
[…] on the coast have a hint of saltiness. South Highland single malts are sweeter and lighter. Glenmorangie, for instance, has a rich and warm profile with hints of chocolate, fudge and spiced […]
[…] Glenmorangie, for instance, has a rich and warm profile with hints of chocolate, fudge and spiced fruit. […]