Whisky Review: Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban

Other reviewers have called the sweet nectar of Quinta Ruban “manufactured” tasting. I wouldn’t go quite that far. But I will say the whisky is not terribly complex – or awe inspiring. When you get over this rather sizable hump (if you are a snob), then it’s a fine entry level dram.rnrnWould I drink the sauce at a party, or a bar? Yes, but I might be tempted to add ice – a practice that’s pretty much taboo if I’m holding a glass of anything above entry level. Does that mean I’m a snob? Judge, if you must, but don’t hate me. Even whisky snobs can be fun to invite to parties, especially BBQ’s in summer time.rnrnOn a hot day it’s quite nice to enjoy a chilled glass of uisge beatha. Temperatures in Portland, Oregon, my hometown, have pushed up into triple digits over the past week. In that sort of oppressive heat, I’ve tended to favor cold drinks of all sorts. Alas, when a room temperature glass of Scotch creeps up over eighty degrees, the plot thickens faster than Dickens. Frigida est sapeintia (in cold, there is wisdom).rnrnI have friends in their 40’s and 50’s who thumb their noses at Quinta Ruban. Back a few years ago, they loved the stuff. This was around the same time when they’d first began collecting (and appreciating) single malts. Times change, tastes change, and clocks break. In a world where nothing lasts forever, let it be said that Quinta Ruban has held its own as a decent entry level Scotch whisky since it was first introduced about half a decade ago.