Glenmorangie Whisky

By Maltmannie

Even if you’re not a whisky enthusiast, you may well have heard of Glenmorangie whisky. This single malt is, depending on which statistic you believe, the 3rd best selling single malt in the world (in volume) and usually appears as the UK’s best selling whisky. Of the 10 million Glenmorangie whisky bottles produced annually, six to six and a half million are sold in the UK. Glenmorangie whisky has a massive six per cent share of the global whisky market.

Glenmorangie Whisky’s Perfume and Wood Polish

Glenmorangie whisky is well-known for its sweet aroma. You’ll find caramel, butterscotch and marzipan aspects to its nose (the technical name for the smell given off when you swirl the drink in a whisky tasting). But this could be a red herring, as the company’s liking for wood finishes can deter some first-time Glenmorangie whisky drinkers. Perhaps unusually, Glenmorangie whisky’s producers lend their specially selected and created casks to the Jack Daniels boubon distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee for a total of four years. This is in order to give the whisky the desired wood finish.

But it seems that whisky taste can even be affected by where you pile your Glenmorangie whisky casks. Cellar 13 is the expression that is most seasidey, being shelved closest to the sea.
Ever thought wine tasters were pretentious? Glenmorangie whisky tasters – here’s your chance to feel superior. A Parisian perfumier has identified 26 individual scents in this highland single malt.

Dalwhinnie Scotch

By Maltmannie

Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky is a north highland variety of whisky. The whisky distillery’s location was chosen especially for its supply of clear spring water directly from Lochan-Doire-Uaine, just nearby to where the Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky is made. Curiously, Dalwhinnie Scotch has as its base ingredient water that has the highest mountain source of all Scottish malt whiskies. Already scaling the heights in its ingredient list, it seems only right that Scotland’s hillwalkers return the Dalwhinnie Scotch whisky back to the heights in hip flasks to keep themselves warm.

Dalwhinnie Scotch, a Gentle Local Hero?

Two important facts to note about Dalwhinnie Scotch: its advertising slogan is ‘the gentle spirit’; until 1988-9 Dalwhinnie Scotch was only available locally. Both of these could be described as misleading. Below is an explanation why.

Flavour of Dalwhinnie Scotch

Dalwhinnie Scotch, though pale gold in colour and with a sweet first flavour, has a clear, clean taste that works well as an aperitif. So its taste is not like Laphroaig but it does have its admirers. Don’t be deterred from the ‘gentle spirit’ by the implication that this is in any way a bland single malt.
Regarding the celebrity status of Dalwhinnie Scotch, post-1989, United Distillers chose Dalwhinnie Scotch as one of only six for its Classic Malts of Scotland series and therefore this pleasant whisky is now much better known by many. But this not the whole story either – there are five well-known expressions of this well-loved highland single malt for you to explore, from the 15-year-olds to the 36-year-old.

Oban Single Malt

By Maltmannie

A true west coast single malt, the Oban single malt obviously has its fans. However, some western highland malt whisky fans are disappointed by the whisky’s ‘restrained’ flavour, compared to its neighbours. Although your first taste can appear sweet, the Oban single malt’s flavour closes with a smoky aspect. Maybe the multiple tastes are only what you might expect from a Scottish single malt, given Scotland’s multiple seasons, even in one day.

Where this whisky hails from

The elements that make Oban single malt taste as it does include its source water being mossy, peaty hills. You can see from the label design the landscape and history that shaped this western highland malt’s place of origin.

Varieties of the Oban single malt available.

From the Oban single malt come three main expressions: the 14-year-old, at 43 per cent vol; the 1980 bottling, a distiller’s edition which was double matured at 43 per cent; and the mature 32-year-old, a limited Oban single malt release of only 6000 available at 55.1 per cent.

Give your tasting tongue a head start.

Flavours to look out for in all expressions of the Oban single malt are: dryish nose, with a fruity taste that has flowery tones. One whisky expert, Michael Jackson, characterises the Oban single malt as a “classically briney West Highlander.”