The Spectator

Advertisement Feature: Beauty and the Beast

Single malt can be a very complex business but, for the sake of simplification, consider these two outstanding whiskies at opposite ends of the style spectrum

issue 09 April 2011

Advertisement Feature

UNNECESSARILY WELL MADE

The objective at Glenmorangie is whisky perfection; there are no quick fixes and, at each stage, only the best will do. The distillery has been pursuing this same goal since 1843 and makes Scotland’s favourite single malt.

Glenmorangie is known for having the tallest stills in Scotland, standing at an impressive 5.14 metres (16ft 101/4 inches). In a Darwinian idiom, the more the alcohol vapours have to defy gravity as they climb to the top of the stills, the greater the likelihood that the fatter, heavier ones won’t survive. Thus, the tall stills result in only the very lightest and purest spirit making it over the top of the elongated necks, giving a more elegant and less oily whisky.

For maturation, the finest oak casks are selected but, unusually, they are only used twice. It is not unusual for casks to be used five times or more in the industry, but Dr Bill Lumsden’s view is that the maximum extraction of flavour during maturation is essential to deliver Glenmorangie’s trademark taste profile and mouthfeel.

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