Glenmorangie - 20 February 2009 - 7pm GMT

[Ganga]

Tonight, I have an older expressoin of Ten and the Nectar d'Or.

[Giovinetti]

BTW - if anyone will be sampling the Astar during this tasting I would be very interested on how it might compare with the old Traditional 100 Proof even if the Astar is not a descendent of it.

Gio I don't have the Astar here tonight, but it isn't really much like the old 100 proof. However, it is an excellent dram and well worth trying.

Probably the reason you didn't find a bottle of the old 100 proof is that it was travel retail only. If you really want it, TWE have it for £69.99:

http://www.thewhiskyexchange.com/B-40-Glenmorangie.aspx

Cheers

Thanks for this info Willie JJ! It explains why I wasn't able to find it. Maybe TWE is the way to go given the current exchange rate between the euro/pound. I certainly would be spending the equivalent for the Astar.

[Spirit of Islay]

Hi Ganga

[Giovinetti]

Expression - Glenmorangie - The Astar
ABV - 57.1%
Cask / Bottle No. - Bourbon /
Colour - Bright Gold
Nose – Loads of Vanilla , spices , Coconut , Honey and a strong Sweetness (Confectioners Sugar) .
Palate - Again very sweet , Digestive biscuits , Battenberg Cake , Almonds .
Finish - Long and Creamy .
Comments - Superb Glenmorangie , a great step up from the 10yo , could smell and drink this all night !

Thanks for these notes. I think I will have to give this one a closer look.

[Ganga]

Hi Gordon. Looks like you are having some good Glenmos.

[Spirit of Islay]

Certainly am Rich , moving onto the SMWS ones !

[Willie JJ]

Expression - Glenmorangie - Lasanta
ABV - 46%
Colour - Chestnut
Nose – First impressions were mistaken. The struck match scent has appeared, although its not too bad. Its settling down now and there's a lovely orangey tang to the malt, like a rich orange cake dusted with icing sugar.
Palate - The first taste, brought back the sulphur, but perseverance allows the malt to come through. The oranges are there, but I'm not really getting much more than that. I think the sulphur is just killing it. I wonder if this mini was from the early batch
Finish - Long enough, but not very exciting.
Comments - Its not really doing it for me I'm afraid. I know some folks are having good experiences with this and I've had a couple myself, but this particular one is a duffer imo.

[Willie JJ]

Hi Ganga

[Willie JJ]

Just gonna rinse out with some of the old 10 before I try the Quinta Ruban.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 125.12
Year – 1995
Age – 12yo
ABV - 57.6%
Cask / Bottle No. - Bourbon Hogshead /
Colour - Bright Gold /
Nose – Pineapple Cubes sweets , Vanilla and ripe Bananas .
Palate - Again Bananas , Loads of Vanilla , after a while Banoffee pie .
Finish - Long and Butterscotch .
Comments - Distilled June 1995 . Another Excellent SMWS Cask , keep them Coming !

[Ras Mazunga]

No struck matches or sulphur at all in this Lasanta. Clearly there is difference in batches.

[Ganga]

Glenmorangie Ten
Brand : Glenmorangie Expression : Ten-Older Bottling
Nose : coconut meat, sweet maltiness, touch of coocoa powder, light spices, vanilla Palate : biscuity, lemons and tangerines, cinnamon, florals and grasses Finish : a beautiful balance of lemon and dough Comment : - Colour : canary yellow Score : 0
Age : 10 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 43% Bottler : OB	Type : single malt Region : Northern Highlands Water : - Ice : - Glass : Glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ganga]

Hi Willie. Spending some time educating my mothern-in-law about some of the nuances in whisky.

[Willie JJ]

Oh hi Nick

[Willie JJ]

No struck matches or sulphur at all in this Lasanta. Clearly there is difference in batches.

There really is Ras, because I've had good and bad. This one is really not good.

Hi Willie. Spending some time educating my mothern-in-law about some of the nuances in whisky.

Lucky man Rich. My mother-in-law was never a drinker. Sadly she's not with us now. I tried to tell her it was the water of life, but she wouldn't listen.

[Spirit of Islay]

Hey Nick !

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 125.13
Year – 1995
Age – 12yo
ABV - 55.9%
Cask / Bottle No. - Bourbon Hogshead /
Colour - Gold
Nose – Another one with loads of Vanilla , very buttery and Creamy as well . A few spices just for good measure as well .
Palate - Again lots of Vanilla , Apple Pie and Custard , Cinnamon .
Finish - Long , Vanilla and very spicy .
Comments - Distilled June 1995 , Bottled April 2008 . Cracking Glenmo , but then again the society hasn't disappointed so far.....

[Ganga]

Nectar d'Or
Brand : Glenmorangie Expression : Glenmorangie Nectar d'Or
Nose : sweet biscuitiness, vanilla, bees wax, light cinnamon powder Palate : sweet, green grasses, cinnamons Finish : gentle grasses on a summer breeze Comment : - Colour : citrine Score : 0
Age : 12 Years Old Vintage : 0 ABV : 46% Bottler : OB	Type : single malt Region : northern highlands Water : - Ice : - Glass : glencairn Notes : -
More tasting notes by None Please do not reproduce or copy this tasting note without permission.

[Ganga]

Afternoon Nick.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 125.16
Year – 1996
Age – 12yo
ABV - 58.8%
Cask / Bottle No. - 1st Fill Bourbon Barrel / 1 of 247
Colour - Golden Syrup
Nose – Bags of vanilla , touch orange , creamy fudge , absolutely wonderful !
Palate - A superb fresh cask , loaded with Vanilla . In Fact top class Homemade Vanilla Custard .
Finish - Long , vanilla Custard .
Comments - Distilled April 1996 . Well the quality just keeps a coming from the SMWS . Wonderful !

[Ganga]

Vatting of Ten/Nectar

Nose is interesting and strange at the same time. It isn't quite as balanced as each on its own.

Palate is a very similar experience. I enjoy them but I would rather have each individually.

[kyorke1]

Hi Nick,

I enjoy the Nectar D'or so I will be interested to see what you think!

Kieron

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 125.18
Year – 1995
Age – 13yo
ABV - 56.9%
Cask / Bottle No. - 1st fill Bourbon Hogshead / 1 of 298
Colour - Gold
Nose – absolutely brimming with Chocolate and Orange , a little bit of smoke .
Palate - Wow ! if that's not Liquid Terrys Chocolate orange i don't know what is ! A touch Vanilla as well .
Finish - Silky , creamy Chocolate that goes on forever .
Comments - Distilled June 1995 . This is the second weirdest Glenmo i've had (Signet was the first ) , A superb Glenmo....

[Willie JJ]

Expression - Glenmorangie - Quinta Ruban
ABV - 46%
Colour - tawny
Nose – None of the Lasanta sulphur here. Its as clean as a whistle. Lovely maltiness, but with Linseed and Fennel. Hint of marzipan amongst the floral notes. Oaky too, but it is light. It's the port that supplying the spice, not the oak.
Palate - Mixed peel and chocolate; tastes like carnations would (I guess). Wonderful union between the spice of the oak and the port. Almost fizzing on the palate. Yummy.
Finish - Long, lingering, spicy and delicious. The oak doesn't re-emerge on the finish for me, but my palate may be fading.
Comments - I love this. I appear to have drunk about 8cl in the writing of this note and that's always a sign that there is a lot going on and I need to think to sort it out. But, it's not complex in an unbalanced way. It all seems to hang together in wonderful harmony. Time to stop messing around and buy one of these I think.

[Spirit of Islay]

Nick i love the Nectar D'or , definitely the best of the Glenmo finishes IMO .
Willie and myself were discussing how the Sauterned Matured Ardbeg might be earlier in the chatroom....
Need to find out !

[Willie JJ]

My goodness, have things improved since the '90s and early 2000's!? ... Are all the new ones as good as this? ... Do I need to revise my opinion of Glenmorangie?

Nick it is my opinion that Bill Lumsden and Rachel Barrie are doing great work. The duff Lasantas are a blip I think and the other expressions are excellent. If you really want convincing then try the Astar or the Signet. I know they are more expensive, but ...

Things at Glenmo are definitely looking up I think.

[Willie JJ]

it's quite deliciously grassy and full of Greek sweets.

I have to know; what are Greek sweets like. I've been to Greece several times, but always concentrated on the drinks for some reason.

[Spirit of Islay]

Totally Agree Willie , Bill and Rachel have been doing a great job .

[Ganga]

School's out!

Time to work over some whiskies.

[Willie JJ]

Well, Willie, Rachel Barrie is certainly a sign that things are looking better

If I'd said that I would have got thumped. I take it Dawn is not occasionally looking over your shoulder to see what is going on?

[Willie JJ]

Greek Delight and those sticky honey-pastry-pistachio things that I can't recall the name of...

I don't know what Greek delight is, but the pastry things are called Baklava by the Turks. Not sure about the Greeks.

[Willie JJ]

School's out!

Time to work over some whiskies.

Welcome back brother Richard.

[Ganga]

Go Gordon. That would be a really interesting finish on a mid teens Ardie. Speaking of which a sample of Glenmo's sister distillery...just because.

And thank you Willie.

[Willie JJ]

Well, Willie, Rachel Barrie is certainly a sign that things are looking better

If I'd said that I would have got thumped. I take it Dawn is not occasionally looking over your shoulder to see what is going on?

No!!!

Then again, she would take it in the spirit it was meant. She's good like that.
One of the (many) reasons I love her so much.

Yeah Audrey would know what I meant, but would take the opportunity to give me a thump anyway

[Willie JJ]

They must be Greek as well, or they wouldn't do that, surely? And I assume there is aa Greek equivalent of Turkish Delight

Actually they have so much in common its amazing and they are in general lovely folk no matter which side of the border you are on, but for all kinds of historical reasons they don't get on. Very sad imo.