GLENMORANGIE'S NEW ADDITIONS
THE CADBOLL ESTATE LEADS THE PACK WITH A 2019 TRAVEL EDITION
Most Scotch whisky is made from ingredients that seem mass produced and fetched into the distillery. It’s inside where the wizard does his magic. There’s undeniably a bit of artistry and craftsmanship that goes into the process, transforming those raw ingredients into the spirit that will eventually grace the shelf… but there’s also something to be said for a whisky that is 100% local, with grains and water from the distillery itself. And that’s exactly what the Cadboll Estate is for Glenmorangie:a 100% locally-produced expression from their own facility.
Like most distilleries in Great Britain, the Glenmorangie distillery halted production between 1931 > 1936 and between 1941 > 1945, but was back to full capacity by 1948. Within just a couple of years, the demand had dramatically increased and in 1977 the distillery doubled its capacity from two stills to four, and doubled again in 1990 to a total of eight. In the 1980s, the distillery purchased 600 acres of land surrounding the facility to preserve their water supply.
Throughout all this history, the Macdonald family had retained ownership of the distillery; but in 2004, the French spirits company LVMH Moët Hennessy – Louis Vuitton SE purchased the distillery outright. Until this point, the company had focussed on their flagship spirit, but the new owners brought redesigned curved bottles and the desire to experiment with different flavours and barrels for aging their spirit.
Glenmorangie has been the best selling single malt in Scotland since 1983, and globally they hold 6% of the total single malt whisky market.
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Glenmorangie’s Cadboll Estate Scotch whisky is about as local as you can get. What makes it so unique is that this expression uses only barley that is grown and harvested from Glenmorangie’s own estate farms, which are malted and cooked using water from the local Tarlogie spring that runs through the nearby hills.
After fermentation, the wort and then the wash is distilled in the tallest pot stills in Scotland. Standing at a towering 26 feet high, there are two reasons why this is important: first, the height ensures that only the lighter (and sweeter) compounds make it over the top and into the collection barrels. Second, the added journey also exposes those vapours to the copper in the still for a longer period of time which (through a chemical reaction with the copper) strips out more of the offensive sulphur compounds.
For the maturation process, Glenmorangie actually has a unique arrangement to source their barrels. Famous distilleries like Jack Daniels and Heaven Hill don’t actually buy their barrels — they simply lease them from Glenmorangie. The charred oak barrels are used to mature American bourbon for a period of a few years before being shipped over to Scotland for the real reason they were built. The barrels are filled with a neutral grain spirit for a few years to mellow out the flavours and extract some of the American bourbon from the wood, and once that process is complete, the barrels are filled with Glenmorangie’s whisky and allowed to finally start the ageing process.
PACKAGING
While the label is rather large, it thankfully isn’t that distracting. The royal blue colour of the label beautifully pairs with the golden spirit within, almost giving it the appearance of a French aristocrat. On that label is the bare essentials of information, and the shiny embellishment on the edges and in the design in the middle of the label is tastefully accomplished.
While I appreciate the size of the bottle, and the purpose that it serves (standing out on a bar or store shelf), it makes placement a touch difficult. It’s about the same size as a normal wine bottle instead of the typically shorter and stouter whisky containers — so getting it in and out of its spot in the whisky cabinet can be a struggle.
In general, Glenmorangie tends to be a bit richer in colour than other similar spirits. In this case, that warm gold colour is definitely on full display. E150a is certainly used in this chill-filtered 43% ABV edition.
The aroma coming off the glass is definitely on the lighter side of the spectrum, without any peat smoke or much heavy ageing going on. There is some honey and flower blossom right up front, a bit of fresh melon, and some oatmeal-like cereal with brown sugar in the background. One gets some nutmeg spice that adds a good bit of depth and texture.
Taking a sip, the first thing I notice is something that wasn’t really there in the aroma: lemon citrus. Specifically lemon zest — that aromatic and bright flavour you get in the peel. That flavour develops and incorporates some of the other components we saw before, like the honey, flower blossoms, melon, oatmeal, and brown sugar. That nutmeg we saw earlier has also expanded a bit, adding in some cinnamon and other baking spices to make this almost like a spiced sugar cookie by the end.
A light and floral spirit with delicate flavour components won’t stand up to some ice. The cold and the dilution usually only leave the richer and darker aspects behind, and with a nicely balanced spirit like this that can often be a bit of a problem. Ice is a no-no.
This is a spirit where the context makes all of the difference. Glenmorangie makes some amazing stuff for their standard line of Scotch; there are some additional tricks and twists in this bottle compared to their normal fare, but not enough to warrant the price tag of £85 on its own.
THE SECOND EDITION
The whisky follows in the footsteps of its predecessor insofar as its materiel is concerned. But it is no longer an NAS bottling. It is matured for 15 years (or more) in the most common cask type used in Scotland, ex-bourbon barrels. No finishes, chill-filtered, no peat, no twists of any kind really, as it is bottled at pretty average 43% ABV. Thus, Cadboll Estate Single Malt 2nd Edition is a very straightforward presentation of The Glenmorangie’s own barley, made into whisky.
This particular release is Batch 2 ex-2020 and only available in North America and Mexico. If you’re familiar with the original Traveller Release Cadboll don’t draw any immediate comparisons, they’re quite different whiskies.
The global travel retail version was a combination of ex-Bourbon and ex-Wine (Muscat and Sémillion) casks and drew its name from the Cadboll cup, a precious 16th century silver wine cup owned by the MacLeods of Cadboll, who created Glenmorangie House. This enigmatic wine cup, which entwines Scottish artistry and mysterious French influences in its design, was treasured for generations at its Highland home. That shared heritage is celebrated in a whisky of tempting, dessert-like flavours, which wonderfully hint at the sweet wines of the past that the Cadboll Cup might once have held. I was able to try the NAS GTR version at a special tasting so I could compare this with my notes on Batch 2 despite them being so different.
The Scotch
A pour of this Glenmorangie has a colour straddling the border between gold and copper. The scent is sweet with licorice laid into a tall glass of orange cream and vanilla soda, enjoyed in a field of late summer, cut and dried straw awaiting baling. A sip reveals a creamy mouthfeel, and a flavour profile that builds on the nose by adding a note of sweet, wet tobacco leaf and sees the citrus fruit transition to pear syrup. Those sweet aspects fade away altogether, with the dry straw evolving into dry, spicy wood on the finish.
The Tasting Notes
Colour: Light honey
Nose: Honey, malt, vanilla cake, orchard fruit, banana pudding, caramel, Nilla Wafers and a touch of nuts and nutmeg. That is one heck of a nice aroma. Warm and inviting, I could sniff it for hours.
Palate: Vanilla cake, banana pudding, nutmeg, honey graham, dried fruit, roasted nuts, light baking spice, malt and frosting sweetness. The aroma was nice, but the palate is the STAR. This is quite delicious.
Finish: Medium. Banana pudding, honey graham and spice fade evenly.
Balance, Body and Feel: Great balance, med-full body and a lightly oily warm feel. The GTR and this 15 YO Cadboll are very different whiskies, but since they share the same name, I feel the need to say I’d pick this over the GTR any day. This is good.
THE THIRD EDITION
Aged for 15 years, the third batch of Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate brings a nutty and spicy twist to the series’ award-winning flavour.
Each release in the series begins in the Distillery’s own barley fields located on the Cadboll Estate, planted and harvested to Dr Lumsden’s specifications. This Cadboll barley is then mashed and distilled in the towering copper stills (as tall as an adult giraffe to allow for a more elegant taste and aroma), to bring forth a uniquely delicious spirit.
With notes of nuts and sweet spice in mind, Dr Bill selected spirit created from two separate barley harvests and aged it in American oak bourbon casks to enhance those creamy depths. Then, picturing notes of hazelnut, toffee and clove, he finished a small portion in casks which once held Amontillado, his favourite style of sherry. After 15 years, Dr Bill reunited these whiskies in this series’ delicious third batch release; threading hints of toffee and spice around honeysuckle, peaches and cream.
The third batch release of Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate has been aged in bourbon casks, with a portion finished in Amontillado sherry casks (Dr Bill Lumsden’s favourite type of sherry). This 15-year-old whisky entwines notes of hazelnut, toffee and clove, bringing a nutty, spicy twist to the series’ signature creaminess.
The Tasting Notes
Colour: Deep Ochre
Nose: Wonderfully aromatic and fragrant, with touches of honey, hazelnuts, mandarin oranges and soft, sweet toffee. This is then followed by top notes of sweet ripening barley, followed by baked peaches. A splash of water releases some flinty minerality, along with honeysuckle and jasmine flowers.
Palate: A gently spicy mouthfeel leads into a burst of sweet and spicy flavours –heather honey, gingerbread, hazelnut praline, fudge, toffee and a touch of clove. The Amontillado cask derived nuttiness is always present, but always gently integrated into the other, sweeter flavours. The lingering aftertaste has touches of almond marzipan and coconut, and finally a suggestion of baking fruit loaves.
Finish: Gloriously creamy and spicy, with notes of gingerbread, hazelnuts and toffee.
GLENMORANGIE’S BRAND MASCOT
Glenmorangie are proud supporters of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and its mission to secure a future for all giraffe populations in the wild.
Creators of single malt whisky since 1843, Glenmorangie’s affinity with the giraffe begins with the copper stills in which it creates its light yet complex spirit. The tallest in Scotland, these stills have necks the same height as an adult male giraffe, which has led to this majestic creature being adopted as a symbol of the brand. By supporting giraffe conservation, the Highland Distillery is deepening its commitment to the animal’s future.
The giraffe has long been a beloved symbol of the Highland Distillery. The same height as a giraffe, their stills allow more space for taste and aroma, which is why Glenmorangie’s spirit is so wonderfully delicate and fruity. But the giraffe faces threats in the wild, from habitat loss to poaching. Numbers have fallen by over 30% in just 35 years, with some populations classed as critically endangered. Recognising that few people are aware how great a threat the gorgeous giraffe faces in the wild, Glenmorangie forged a pioneering conservation partnership in 2020 with the Giraffe Conservation Foundation (GCF) and the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS).
The new Glenmorangie Cadboll Estate release is freely available in the UK for an RRP of £75. Sadly, this release is also chill filtered and bottled at 43% ABV. That said, Glenmorangie celebrates the joy of delicious single malt in every part of its universe, from its boutique hotel Glenmorangie House to its colourful brand campaign and its tagline “It’s Kind of Delicious and Wonderful.”
About The Cadboll Estate Series
This unique series of field-to-glass whiskies was created to share the spirit and flavour of Glenmorangie’s ruggedly beautiful, yet remote homeland with whisky lovers old and new. It began with the first release of Glenmorangie The Cadboll Estate in 2020, a deep and creamy single malt distilled in 2004 and aged in first-fill American white oak bourbon casks. The second release was named Best Single Malt 15 Year Old at the International Whisky Competition (IWC) in 2021 and won a double gold medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (SFWSC), and gold at the International Spirits Challenge (ISC) that year. The silky richness of the second batch, distilled in 2005, wonderfully reflected the subtle changes each year brings to the Highlands. The nutty, spicy and creamy notes of the third batch are a deliciously sherried take on the series’ style. What’s more, Dr Lumsden is already dreaming up further whiskies for the single-estate series. So whisky fans can look forward to enjoying further delicious tastes of Glenmorangie’s home, even if they are yet to explore the Highlands in person.
AND THEN THE NEW ONES
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X By Glenmorangie:
In pursuit of new flavour combinations, Lumsden has crafted the perfect single malt whisky for mixing. Paired with your favourite mixer, X by Glenmorangie creates effortlessly delicious drinks.
The X’s raison d’etre is to be mixed and one can say it easily fulfills that purpose. Under that singular perspective of being built for mixing, the price is perfect and it really is a good mixing whisky. But this isn’t truly a cocktail site, it’s a whisky site, and so we need to look at just the liquid itself. Which brings us to a different, singular perspective, with one major question: how is it for sipping?
Colour: Honeyed butterscotch
Nose: Malt, graham, vanilla and citrus with bits of sweet dried fruit, banana and oak. Soft and simple, it’s a whisky that’s easy and unassuming, but not bad.
Palate: Graham, vanilla frosting, dried apples, bananas, honey and a bit of oak. As it opens a touch of cocoa and nuttiness peeks out, but it’s mostly just dried fruit on graham.
Finish: Short. Malty and fruity fade to a light graham.
Balance, Body And Feel: Decent balance, light-body, light watery feel.
Overall: If you’ve been looking for the most average yet approachable and sippable whisky on the market, this is it. It’s not complex, it’s not deep, but it doesn’t have anything inherently wrong with it either. It’s simple yet pleasant.
In fact, sipping isn’t its true nature. The X by Glenmorangie was designed for mixing… It’s a good, average, workhorse whisky that’s inoffensive and sippable – exactly as it was designed to be.
A Tale Of The Forest:
Using an ancient method of infusing barley with woodland botanicals. Lush and invitingly herbaceous, A Tale of the Forest is Glenmorangie’s first whisky crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals.
Evoking the scents, sounds and sights of the forest, the single malt surrounds your senses with aromas of pine, juniper and coriander, laced with wisps of smoke. Then tastes of deep-green eucalyptus, lit by rays of bitter orange, drift to a slow, gently oaky finish.
The whisky’s fragrant, wooded depths have inspired illustrator Pomme Chan to dream up her own fantastical forest. Celebrating the whisky’s flavours, her artwork is showcased on the whisky’s pack.
Tasting Notes:
Colour: Gold
Nose: A bouquet of pine, juniper and coriander, along with roasted chestnut and an intriguing whisper of smoke.
Palate: Flavour explodes in the mouth. Whirls of peppermint. Bursts of eucalyptus. Rustles of bitter orange. All floating on clouds of vanilla with intriguing hints of black liquorice.
Finish: A slow and luscious finish featuring lemon, orange and a soft hint of oak.
Glenmorangie Palo Cortado:
This deeply sweet and nutty small-batch release is the first Glenmorangie ever to be finished in rare Palo Cortado sherry casks. Aged for 12 years, it brings a new elegance to the Highland Distillery’s delicate style.
The single malt spent its first eight years mellowing in American white oak bourbon casks. Then, delighted by that whisky’s smooth, soft character, Dr Bill was inspired to finish a select batch in Palo Cortado casks, never before used at Glenmorangie.
Uniquely complex and nutty, it layers dark plum depths with milk-chocolate richness, Brazil nuts and sweet spice.
Aged 12 YO (first matured in Bourbon casks then finished 4 years in Palo Cortado Sherry Casks), it is different from the core range, which spend ten years in Bourbon casks.
Tasting Notes
Colour: Burnt Amber
Nose: Rich, elegant and rounded. Toffee, fudge and vanilla sweetness entwine with mossy notes and mulled wine hints. Then come scents of honeyed ginger and milk-chocolate truffle dusted with cinnamon. A splash of water reveals notes of orange sherbet, carnations and Brazil nuts.
Palate: An oily yet peppery texture leads to a burst of rich, sweet flavours. Treacle toffee and milk chocolate are threaded with notes of clove, ginger, cinnamon and nutmeg. Meanwhile, fruity undertones of raisins, dark plums and bitter orange find delectable balance with baking ryebread and salted nuts.
Finish: Long and nutty, brimming with spice, leather and a touch of aniseed.
Glenmorangie Amontillado Finish:
Gone down South! A long-time fan of Amontillado sherry, Dr Lumsden has always fancied its nuttier, spicier style in a bottle. Years ago, he began to imagine a unique, delicious whisky, which would entwine its casks’ distinctive flavours through the Distillery’s gentle, honeyed style. But since such casks are hard to come by, opportunities are few and far between.
Eventually, Dr Lumsden sourced a precious handful of Amontillado casks. Then he filled them with a soft, mellow whisky which had spent eight years in American white oak bourbon barrels. Transferring it into the Amontillado casks, he left it to age for another four years, until it achieved the flavours he desired. Finished in this way, the whisky winds sherried hints of cashews, clove, ginger and dried fruit round Glenmorangie’s classic notes of peaches, orange and lemon balsam.
Sadly, it was crafted for The Whisky Club, Australia with very limited availability via Glenmorangie’s online shop, shipping to the UK only, and at the Distillery Visitor Centre shop in Tain.
The Tasting Notes
Colour: Bright Amber.
Nose: Scents of rose, carnation and jasmine entwine with fragrant candle wax and hints of cashew nuts. A splash of water releases Amontillado's classic dried fruit notes, followed by peaches in syrup.
Palate: A soft and mouthcoating texture is wonderfully balanced by effervescent and spicy notes. Clove and ginger find harmony with Glenmorangie's signature citrus tastes of orange sherbet, lemon balsam and eucalyptus oil, with undertones of walnut oil and leather.
Finish: Slow and lingering, with notes of honey and aniseed.
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