Glenmorangie’s Latest Grand Vintage Malt Scotch Said To Have A Rich Plum Character

The Glenmorangie single malt Scotch distillery, founded in 1843 and located in the Scottish Highlands, has a rich and long history in making whisky. It has some rather old buildings on the property, including some traditional 19th century warehouses. The largest of these, Bonded Warehouse No. 1, has been a still house since 1990, and also has a limited edition series called Bond House No. 1 Collection produced in honor of its legacy. The latest release in this line up, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991, recently came to market, marrying together two parcels of whisky that reportedly wouldn’t ordinarily be brought together.

Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991, according to those behind it, is a 26 year old expression that brings together into one bottle two contrasting whisky styles that were distilling back in 1991. Both long-aged in bourbon casks, each had been finished in Oloroso sherry casks or in Burgundy casks for more than a decade before being handled by Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, to ultimately create a one off offering that has a rich plum character due to the Oloroso (sweetness and spice) and Burgundy (earthy and truffle notes) influences.

“Bringing together two such incongruous whiskies goes somewhat against convention which, in part, is what drew me to the challenge of combining them,” said Lumsden in a prepared statement. “The result is a single malt with a rich plum character, deep, mellow aromas and tastes of ripe fruits and milk chocolate. Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991 honours those early pioneers who dedicated themselves to the art of the wood finish in 1991, whose work still guides us today.”

As with the 1990, 1989 and 1993 Grand Vintage Malt bottlings before this one, the 1991 is being targeted towards collectors both in price point at £630 (around $790 USD) and also packaging presentation. You’ll find some official tasting notes below for your consideration.

• Colour: Ochre
• Nose: Mellow, deep, intense and fruity. Lots of apricots, plum and baked apples, with chocolate, gentle oak, and a hint of truffles and star anise. A splash of water releases deeper notes, reminiscent of hickory-smoked ham and a damp forest floor.
• Taste: A slightly peppery mouthfeel leads to a burst of fruity flavours intermingled with lots of milk chocolate, stewed apples, plum and ripe, red fruits such as cherry and raspberry.
• Finish: A hint of zesty citrus and finally an intriguing combination of oak, fruit and sweet spices.