Glenmorangie reveals its oldest-ever single malt whisky at 50 years old – Scotch Whisky News
Glenmorangie reveals its oldest-ever single malt whisky at 50 years old
— Extremely rare release comprises 149 numbered bottles of liquid history, with each presented in a one-of-a-kind ceramic vessel —
Glenmorangie single malt Scotch whisky has unveiled the Glenmorangie 50 Years Old – the oldest-ever whisky to be bottled from the Highland distillery. This incredibly rare release has been nurtured meticulously by the distillery’s whisky makers over time and celebrates the extraordinary feat of maturing whisky for half a century, while preserving Glenmorangie’s signature elegance. Realised through the vision of acclaimed Master Distiller Dr Bill Lumsden MBE, who has stewarded the whisky through its final three decades of maturation in bourbon and sherry casks, it is presented in 149 bespoke porcelain display vessels crafted by celebrated ceramicist, Peter Pincus.
The creation of Glenmorangie 50 Years Old began with some of the last batches of barley malted in the distillery’s own floor maltings which were decommissioned in 1977, rendering The 50 Years Old a rare taste of a bygone era. Distilled in Glenmorangie’s uniquely tall copper stills, the spirit was then laid down to mature in bourbon hogshead casks and first-fill Oloroso sherry butts in the mid-1970s. The whisky had already achieved a considerable age when Dr Bill joined Glenmorangie as Distillery Manager in 1995, and during those early years of his tenure, he identified a handful of casks with the potential for significant ageing.
In 1999, Dr Bill selected a small parcel of whisky from these casks once they had reached a considerable age. This liquid, comprising mostly whisky aged in bourbon casks and a smaller portion from sherry butts, was then married in one refill hogshead barrel. This particular cask was identified as the perfect maturation partner, tightly coopered for a slow extended maturation that would impart the gentlest wood influence on the whisky, whilst maintaining Glenmorangie’s signature elegance.
Over the next 25 years, the whisky mellowed into a Glenmorangie with unparalleled depth and complexity, balancing the distillery’s signature house style with intense sherried notes. And after five decades in total, Dr Bill deemed this whisky ready to share. A remarkably rich mahogany in colour, Glenmorangie 50 Years Old reveals sweet aromas of baked oranges, sultanas and nutmeg, complemented by a herbal top note. To taste, the mouthfeel is gently peppery, followed by bold flavours of toffee, stewed Assam tea leaves, birch tar, and whisps of clove and oak tannin.
In honour of this milestone release, Glenmorangie has partnered with visionary American ceramic artist, Peter Pincus, to create a striking display for each of the 149 bottles. After visiting the distillery and tasting the whisky, Peter, his partner Laurie, and their studio team spent the next 1,000 days handcrafting 149 bespoke ceramic display vessels to honour the exceptional whisky within. Dedicating over three years to the project, Peter and Laurie Pincus pioneered new ceramic techniques and painstakingly cast and sanded each piece to perfection. Inspired by the palette of tasting notes in the whisky, they created 50 bespoke colour pigments to form a completely individual pattern on each vessel, applied by hand. Each ceramic vessel created fits together to display a tessellated wall of art, titled ‘Together in Spirit’ – a tribute to shared craftsmanship and boundless imagination.
Dr Bill Lumsden said: “The release of the Glenmorangie 50 Years Old has to be one of my proudest creations. I often wondered if the day would ever come that we’d be able to bottle a Glenmorangie with such a mighty age statement. The combination of Glenmorangie from classic bourbon barrels, with a touch of sweet yet spicy sherry cask-matured liquid presents a stunning whisky of depth and complexity, harmonised with Glenmorangie’s signature elegance. It’s also particularly special that this whisky was created from some of the last batches of barley to be malted on site at the distillery in the mid-1970s, which has added rare hints of smoke to its flavour profile.
“It has been an honour collaborating with Peter Pincus to present this Glenmorangie in such an extraordinary way. Together we have created an unrepeatable work of art – and I’d say it’s been worth the wait.”
Peter Pincus said: “When we visited Glenmorangie and tasted this incredible 50-year-old whisky we were inspired with so many ideas for how to present it. We have pioneered new techniques that have never been used in ceramics before and created a palette of colour to bring the intense flavour of this whisky to life. Each of the vessels we have created links to its neighbours to create a collective masterpiece, but each also has its own identity. This project has been a formative journey of self-discovery for Pincus, and it’s wonderful to see our shared vision for the project come to life.”
Glenmorangie’s whisky creators have been refining and redefining what is possible in single malt for more than 180 years. They distil their elegant spirit in Scotland’s tallest stills, then age it in the finest casks, in constant pursuit of exceptional flavour.
Glenmorangie 50 Years Old will be available from September through the Moët Hennessy Private Client Team, the Distillery Visitor Centre in Tain and select retailers, with private enquiries also welcome at glenmorangie.com.
Follow Glenmorangie on: Instagram and Facebook: @Glenmorangie
For exclusive access to new releases, news and events, join Glenmorangie’s community at https://www.glenmorangie.com/members
RRP: £25,800/ 30,000€
TASTING NOTES
Glenmorangie 50 Years Old is non-chill filtered and bottled at 45.7% ABV cask strength
Colour: Dark mahogany
Aroma: Elegant and curiously aromatic for a whisky of this age, with hints of amber, cardamon, sultanas, nutmeg and baked oranges. This leads to touches of toffee and leather, with a distinctive herbal top note, like a whisper of coriander or parsley. At this age, very little water is needed, but a few drops will release a candy sweetness and further toffee notes.
Taste: The mouthfeel is gently peppery and slightly drying, followed by bold flavours of toffee, stewed Assam tea leaves, birch tar, cinnamon and grape must, along with a touch of clove and oak tannin. The oaky, leathery notes continue.
Finish: Long and lingering, revealing hints of aniseed, treacle toffee and eucalyptus.
About Glenmorangie
For more than 180 years, Glenmorangie single malt Scotch whisky has been shaped by the heart and soul of the Scottish Highlands – its land and its people. Our makers craft their whisky from the water of the Distillery’s mineral-rich Tarlogie Springs. Then, in Scotland’s tallest stills, they distil an exceptionally delicate and pure spirit to create Glenmorangie’s signature elegance. Led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden MBE for more than 30 years, they are endlessly refining and redefining the flavour possibilities of single malt. From pioneering bespoke “designer” casks to exploring new ideas in their experimental Lighthouse distillery, they bring together art and science to create exceptional whiskies.
Glenmorangie’s distinctive Highland character is showcased in its Once Upon a Time in Scotland campaign, starring Harrison Ford. Set in the Distillery’s beautiful ‘backyard studio’ on the Dornoch Firth, the campaign captures the warmth of Glenmorangie’s creators, their commitment to craft – and of course, their elegant whiskies, which embody the Highland spirit.
About Glenmorangie’s whisky creators:
Glenmorangie’s Whisky Creation Team relentlessly push the boundaries of flavour, in constant pursuit of a great dram. They led the way in wood finishing long before it became industry standard, have achieved multiple world firsts such as Glenmorangie Signet (made with pioneering chocolate malt spirit) and continue to shape the whiskies of tomorrow in their Lighthouse distillery, purpose-built for experimentation.
At the helm of the team is Dr Bill Lumsden, who has poured his expertise and creativity into Glenmorangie for over three decades. Renowned for his visionary approach to whisky, Dr Bill, who has a PhD in biochemistry, has earned the admiration of his peers many times over. He has taken his place in the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame; has won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year more times than anyone else; and has been named Master Blender/Distiller of the Year by the International Spirits Challenge twice. In 2025, Dr Bill was made an MBE (Member of the British Empire) for services to the Scotch whisky industry. This prestigious British honour is awarded by His Majesty The King.
Working hand-in-hand with Dr Bill is Gillian Macdonald, Glenmorangie’s Master Blender. Gillian combines scientific rigour and creative curiosity in her role, with responsibilities including the daily sensory analysis of the new-make spirit, core range recipes and the co-ordination of the Company’s sensory panel. Alongside Dr Bill, Gillian manages the creation of new bottlings for Glenmorangie which involves nosing hundreds of casks a year for final recipe selection.
About Peter Pincus, Laurie Pincus and Pincus:
Renowned in art and ceramics for their intricate porcelain compositions and sculpture, Peter and Laurie Pincus are based in Rochester, New York State. Their artistic practice is deeply rooted in exploration of colour theory and technical experimentation. Together, Peter and Laurie have redefined the ceramics world through their use of complicated mould systems paired with new ways of using ceramic colour on form. They have propelled the field into new dimensions of creativity and innovation, just as Glenmorangie is constantly redefining the possibilities of whisky. Peter and Laurie have worked exclusively on this project with Glenmorangie since 2023, together with their studio team.
Peter earned both his BFA (2005) and MFA (2011) from Alfred University, New York. In 2014, he became Visiting Assistant Professor of Art at the School for American Crafts at Rochester Institute of Technology and was promoted to Assistant Professor in 2018. The previous year, Peter received the Louis Comfort Tiffany Award for emerging American artists.
His work can be found in numerous private and public collections in the U.S. including the Daum Museum of Contemporary Art, in Sedalia, Missouri; the Everson Museum of Art, in Syracuse, New York; The Museum of Fine Arts, in Houston, Texas; ASU Art Museum Ceramics Research Center, in Tempe, Arizona and the Schien-Joseph International Museum, in Alfred, New York.
About Buffalo Trace Distillery
