Glenmorangie Tùsail Scotch Release Drawn From Rare Barley

One of the more eagerly anticipated early Scotch releases each year comes courtesy of Glenmorangie and its Private Edition collection. Last year around this time came word the 2014 offering was Companta, a whisky finished in ex-French wine casks. For 2015 Glenmorangie has unveiled Tùsail, a unique bottling exploring a distinctive variety of barley’s influence on the distillery’s traditional whisky.

Tùsail, according to Glenmorangie, means “originary” in Scots Gaelic. It draws upon Maris Otter barley for its character profile. This rare barley

was first commercially harvested 50 years ago. Its depth of flavour meant that it soon became a cornerstone of England’s craft-brewing industry. But the demand for the barley variety began to fall as producers switched to varieties with greater efficiencies – and its characteristic taste was left in peril. Realising the danger, two British seed merchants formed a partnership which would re-establish the grain’s purity and save Maris Otter from being wiped out.

“When we heard the story of those determined to preserve such a flavoursome grain,” said Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling and Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden in a statement, “their ethos – and the barley itself – seemed the perfect match for a Glenmorangie single malt.  I knew its deep flavour profile would provide an intriguing contrast to Glenmorangie’s more delicate house style, creating a whisky to enchant connoisseurs.”

Glenmorangie is not the first distillery to turn to rarer grain types in order to have its whisky standout in an increasingly crowded field. The likes of Bruichladdich and Isle of Arran, for example, are making use of bere barley that’s mostly farmed in a few remote Scottish regions.

Glenmorangie Tùsail, which is the sixth release in the Private Edition collection, is bottled at 46% ABV and will price for around £76 ($115 USD) when it is released. Tasting notes from the distillery for this whisky influenced by the Maris Otter barley indicate “rich, rustic flavours of nut toffee, sweet barley malt, ginger, cinnamon, molasses, and dates, complementing the more familiar Glenmorangie notes of peaches, oranges and smoked pears.”