Vintage release champions Glenmorangie’s experimental ways
– Intensely creamy limited edition is oldest whisky aged in Distillery’s bespoke casks –
Glenmorangie’s whisky makers go to extraordinary lengths on their quest for delicious single malt. Luscious and creamy, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996 showcases the wondrous tastes their methods bring. Aged 23 years, this limited edition is the oldest whisky matured in their bespoke casks, dreamed up to reveal new levels of creaminess in Glenmorangie.
Years before this intensely rounded single malt was created, Glenmorangie’s whisky makers began to imagine the perfect casks in which to age their signature spirit. Distilled in Scotland’s tallest stills, with necks as tall as a giraffe, it is uniquely delicate and ripe for experimentation. Believing that wood could unlock new depths of flavour in this spirit, they vowed to create the casks of their dreams.
So began an epic journey, which led those Highland whisky makers to the forests of Missouri’s Ozark Mountains, in the U.S. There, where trees grow slower, they handpicked American white oaks that would naturally bring more creaminess to Glenmorangie. Then, with astonishing attention to detail, they carefully air dried the oak, handcrafted it into casks made to their exact specifications, and seasoned it with select bourbon, to bring the wood to its best. Finally, by 1996, some of the first bespoke casks were ready. Filling them with Glenmorangie’s spirit, they left time to do its work.
Each year since, under Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Whisky Creation, Glenmorangie has crafted these bespoke casks in small numbers, creating two coveted releases of the limited edition Glenmorangie Astar, and the heart of Glenmorangie Original. Meanwhile, the spirit of 1996 lay undisturbed, gaining even deeper, even more rounded flavours. Finally, Dr Bill was inspired to celebrate these casks, and their longest maturation yet, in a whisky with an unique creamy depth and fruity, floral intensity. Aged entirely in first-fill casks, it’s the sixth release in the Bond House No. 1 Collection.
Dr Bill said: “Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996 wonderfully demonstrates how we can bring our most extraordinary dreams to life. The oldest whisky we have ever aged in our bespoke casks, its fresh, floral aromas and luxuriously creamy tastes are gloriously enhanced by age. A delicious step on from Glenmorangie Astar, this limited edition will be adored by whisky lovers old and new.”
The whiskies of Glenmorangie’s Bond House No. 1 vintage series are created from some of the Distillery’s most prized parcels of aged whisky, for particularly delicious results. The series is named after the largest of Glenmorangie’s 19th century Bonded Warehouses. For generations, Warehouse No. 1 was home to casks of maturing spirit until in 1990, it was transformed into a majestic new still house. Today, Bonded Warehouse No. 1 is the heart of the Distillery’s wondrous whisky creation.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage 1996 will be available in the UK from whisky specialists and fine wine merchants from the end of July, RRP: £635.
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NOTES TO EDITORS:
Tasting Notes:
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1996 is bottled at 43% ABV.
Colour: Bright sunburst gold
Nose: Fresh, floral and perfumed, with hints of roses, carnations, jasmine and a curious herbal note like coriander. Luscious mandarin orange and pear follow, with a beautiful candy sweetness, reminiscent of mixed fruit jellies. A splash of water releases even more floral notes of carnation and geranium, along with some soft, buttery vanilla.
Taste: A zesty, citrus mouthfeel leads into a powerful burst of citrus fruits like oranges and lemons, kept under control by the thread of soft, sweet vanilla and fudge. The finesse for a whisky of this age is quite remarkable, with gentle spices, such as ginger and sweet chilli and subtle oaky notes.
Finish: Delicate and dancing with almonds, pear and cake mix.
RRP & stockists:
Available from whisky specialists and fine wine merchants from the end of July, RRP £635.
About the Bond House No.1 Collection:
The Bond House No.1 Collection’s vintage expressions are all exceptionally fine and smooth. The series celebrates Glenmorangie’s most prestigious aged whiskies with particularly delicious results. It is named after Bonded Warehouse No. 1 – the largest of Glenmorangie’s traditional 19th-century warehouses – transformed into the Distillery’s majestic new still house in 1990. The Bond House No. 1 whiskies have all been lauded at prestigious industry competitions for their delicious tastes:
- Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990, released in 2016, won first place at the International Whisky Competition (IWC), in the category Single Malt Whisky (Highland) and gold medals at the International Wine and Spirits Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition.
- Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1989, released in 2018, was rewarded with a gold award at the International Spirits Challenge. At the IWC, it won Best Single Malt Scotch 25 Years and Over.
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1993, released exclusively in Travel Retail in 2018, was awarded gold at the 2018 Global Travel Retail Spirits Masters.
- Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1991, released in 2019, was named Whisky of the Year by the IWC in 2019.
- Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1995, released exclusively in Travel Retail in 2020, scored 89 points out of 100 in world whisky expert Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible 2020.
About Glenmorangie:
Glenmorangie’s whisky makers use endless imagination and five key ingredients – wood, water, barley, yeast and time – to dream up delicious single malt whiskies. Known as the Distillers of Tain, they’ve been honing their craft for more than 175 years. In Scotland’s tallest stills, whose necks are as high as a giraffe, they produce a light and fruity spirit, ripe for experimentation. Led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, this crackerjack crew are on a mission to bring new flavours and possibilities to the world of single malt.
About Dr Bill Lumsden:
Dr Bill Lumsden’s favourite phrase is “What if?”. And throughout his 25 years with Glenmorangie, the Distillery’s Creative Director has challenged himself and his team to take whatever captures their imaginations and turn it into whisky – be that a cup of coffee (Glenmorangie Signet), a long balmy day in Madeira (Glenmorangie Bacalta), a beautiful barley field by the Distillery (Glenmorangie Allta) and more. With a PhD in biochemistry and decades of experience, Dr Bill has all the skills needed to bring these ideas to life. Already, he has earned the admiration of his peers many times over. For instance, he is a new entry in the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame. He has won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year more times than anyone else. And he has been named Master Blender/Distiller of the Year by the International Spirits Challenge twice.
About Glenmorangie’s bespoke casks:
To create the perfect casks for its lighter spirit, Glenmorangie’s whisky creators handpick slow-growth American white oak trees from the Ozark Mountains, in Missouri. These oaks tend to grow on north-facing slopes, where there is less light, more shade, and less moisture in the soil. As a result, their wood has a particularly tight-grained structure, with higher concentrations of the naturally-occurring compounds which bring the whisky silky, creamy textures and flavours of vanilla, coconut, almond and honey. The slow-growth trees which Glenmorangie selects have an abundance of early wood (formed from spring growth). Although late wood (grown in summer and autumn) typically makes up most of a tree, early wood is more porous. And so, it allows more contact between spirit and wood, bringing more wood flavours to the whisky. When cut into staves, the wood is air-seasoned for about two years. This breaks down the internal structure of the wood to release softer, sweeter flavours than the more bitter, astringent notes that can come with quicker kiln drying. The staves are then handcrafted into casks, lightly toasted and heavily charred to Dr Bill’s precise specifications, and filled with bourbon for at least four years, for seasoning. Only then, are the casks ready to make the journey to the Glenmorangie Distillery, where they bring a sweeter, richer, smoother, more rounded profile to the whisky. Glenmorangie began its search for the perfect wood in the mid-1980s, later developing its bespoke casks programme. These casks have been used to create two limited releases of the sought-after Glenmorangie Astar. They also form the heart of the Distillery’s signature whisky Glenmorangie The Original.
About Glenmorangie Astar:
In 2008, Glenmorangie created The Astar (Scots Gaelic for “journey”). Entirely matured in bespoke oak casks this limited whisky was much coveted for its smooth, creamy depths. Dr Bill longed to revisit The Astar’s unique character, but as Glenmorangie’s bespoke casks are rare, it took almost a decade for this whisky to return. In 2017 Glenmorangie revealed a second limited-edition release, bringing a new richness and complexity to The Astar’s celebrated flavours.
Responsible Drinking:
The Glenmorangie Company advocates responsible drinking and suggests that drinkers
savour Glenmorangie whiskies in moderation and in line with recommended daily guidelines
for alcohol consumption.
