Harrison Ford toasts to the craft behind Glenmorangie’s elegant new 25-year-old whisky – Scotch Whisky News
Harrison Ford toasts to the craft behind Glenmorangie’s elegant new 25-year-old whisky
— The Altus lifts Glenmorangie’s signature house style to new heights —
Glenmorangie Highland single malt Scotch whisky today releases a decadent 25-year-old whisky which elevates the Distillery’s signature spirit character to new heights of elegance. Highly praised by Harrison Ford – one of the first to taste the whisky in Glenmorangie’s witty brand campaign – Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old (Latin for “high”) embodies its creators’ tireless approach to excellence. Bottled from a marriage of whisky matured in classic bourbon casks and whisky finished in Madeira wine casks, this permanent addition to Glenmorangie’s core range abounds with sweet, fruity flavours, and butter-candy undertones.
For more than 180 years, Glenmorangie’s whisky creators have been endlessly imaginative on their quest to create exceptional single malts. None more so than Director of Whisky Creation and Master Distiller, Dr Bill Lumsden, whose favourite phrase is “What if…?”. Since he began his tenure at Glenmorangie in 1995, Dr Bill has constantly challenged his team to elevate their favourites and bring more flavours and possibilities to single malt – making Glenmorangie the world’s most highly awarded Highland single malt. The Altus’s ascent through the years encapsulates his vision and commitment.
Ford salutes the heritage and craft behind The Altus when given a sneak preview before its official release, in Glenmorangie’s playful brand campaign Once Upon a Time in Scotland. In episode 10 Teamwork, the actor is handed a mystery dram by Glenmorangie Senior Tour Guide, Emily Ross. Told only by Distillery Manager Ed Thom that this is “something very special”, Ford is clearly awe-struck by The Altus’s flavour. Nodding his approval, he says to the assembled team of Distillery workers: “You guys do good work.” With an air of reverence, he holds his glass aloft, adding: “Here’s to your creation. To the good people of Glenmorang-y. Cheers.” The dramatic tension is then humorously broken as Distillery worker Alan Duff Junior gently corrects Ford’s pronunciation: “It’s Glenmorangie.”
Just as Ford acknowledges, The Altus is a testament to Glenmorangie’s pursuit of excellence. It begins with the fruity spirit of Glenmorangie’s unusually tall stills, whose height allows more space for taste and aroma. That distillate’s delicacy is the result of meticulous changes conceived by Dr Bill, soon after he joined Glenmorangie almost 30 years ago. Then, inspired by the flavours which first drew him to Glenmorangie, he ages this elegant spirit in select bourbon barrels – the backbone of the Distillery’s house style. Among them, are Glenmorangie’s precious “designer” casks; hand-made from carefully chosen American oaks, heavily toasted and lightly charred to Dr Bill’s exact specifications to enhance the whisky’s creamy depths.
Patiently matured over decades, this whisky lusciously magnifies Glenmorangie’s trademark smooth, fruity character. Yet to elevate its flavour profile even further, Dr Bill marries this whisky with a sprinkling of Glenmorangie finished in Malmsey Madeira casks. This homage to Glenmorangie’s pioneering Madeira-finished whisky from 1995 – a world-first and a collector’s favourite to this day – guides a classic into The Altus’s decadent new realms of sweetness and spice. Aromas of carnation wind around orange blossom and honey, while tastes of mandarin, apples, pears and peach collide with gooseberry tartness, marzipan and ripe banana.
Dr Bill said: “The Altus’s 25-year journey is a true celebration of Glenmorangie’s acclaimed house style – presenting it at a new pinnacle of flavour. We were delighted that Harrison Ford became one of the first to taste the whisky in Once Upon A Time in Scotland – and are very glad it met with his approval! Once our delicate spirit has been distilled in our iconic stills, this whisky has absorbed the creamy, fruity influence of our designer bourbon casks over the decades, before being combined with a sprinkling of Madeira-cask-finished Glenmorangie for more depth and fruitiness. The Altus elevates our Distillery’s signature notes of mandarin, peach and pear to new heights, combined with sweet butter-candy tones.”
Ed, who has been manager of the Distillery since 2019, pours Ford his first taste of The Altus in the campaign’s Teamwork episode. He said: “We were very excited to share The Altus with Harrison. This whisky is a perfect example of how bringing together the work of our distillers, blenders and warehouse teams can create something truly special. Harrison’s reaction to the whisky in the film is very genuine. After filming stopped, he shared his appreciation and praise for the craftmanship of the team who created it. He was very relaxed during breaks. He even told us a few jokes – which we promised to keep a secret if he didn’t tell anyone about The Altus before it was released!”
Emily Ross, Senior Tour Guide at Glenmorangie Distillery who hands Harrison the dram itself, reflected on her experience during the filming of the campaign: “The whole experience was unreal. I’ve always been a Harrison Ford fan, so I was excited to meet him. He was incredibly down-to-earth, humble, and genuine. It was a day I’ll never forget; a real moment in Glenmorangie’s history.”
Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old completes a trio of flagship expressions in the Distillery’s core range, alongside Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old and Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old. It will be initially available in specialist retailers as well as from the Distillery Visitor Centre in Tain, and at glenmorangie.com RRP: £550.
To watch the full Teamwork episode, featuring Harrison Ford’s first taste of The Altus, visit www.glenmorangie.com/pages/harrison-ford
Follow Glenmorangie on:
Instagram and Facebook: @Glenmorangie
For exclusive access to new releases, news and events, join Glenmorangie’s online community at https://www.glenmorangie.com/members
TASTING NOTES
Glenmorangie Altus 25 Years Old is bottled at 43% ABV
Colour: Deep amber.
Aroma: A beautifully rich yet soft and aromatic bouquet greets you, with fragrant carnation, rose, orange blossom, honey and peach. This is underscored with hints of vanilla and almond, and a touch of nutty toffee, from the Madeira cask inclusion. Finally, you’ll uncover some classic Glenmorangie fruits, with peach and pear.
Taste: Silky and luscious, leading to a burst of sweet, fruity flavours. Mandarin, apples, pears and peaches, with a burst of tart gooseberry and hard, yellow plums. Then, gently sweet butter-candy notes, with soft oak-derived flavours – almond marzipan, icing sugar and ripe banana.
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. They’ve been honing their craft for 180 years. They create a delicate and fruity spirit in stills as tall as a giraffe to allow for more taste and aroma. Led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, this pioneering crew are on a mission to bring new flavours and possibilities to the world of single malt.
In 2025, Glenmorangie unveiled a new brand campaign, Once Upon a Time in Scotland, fronted by Harrison Ford. Taking the form of 12 episodes, the series explores Glenmorangie’s authentic truths, from its stunning Highland surroundings to the real people who create its complex and elegant whiskies.
About Glenmorangie’s whisky creators:
Glenmorangie’s Whisky Creation Team’s favourite phrase is “What if?”. And they are constantly challenging themselves to take whatever captures their imaginations and turn it into whisky – be that their memories of a favourite place (Glenmorangie A Tale of Tokyo), the beguiling aromas of freshly brewed coffee (Glenmorangie Signet) and more.
At the helm of the team is Dr Bill Lumsden, Director of Whisky Creation. 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 has taken his place 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.
Working hand-in-hand with Dr Bill is Gillian Macdonald, The Glenmorangie Company’s Master Blender. Gillian combines art and science in her role, with her main responsibilities including the daily sensory analysis of the new-make spirit, core range recipes and the co-ordination of the Company’s sensory panel. Both Bill and Gillian manage the New Product Development pipeline for Glenmorangie which involves nosing hundreds of casks a year for final recipe selection.
How Glenmorangie inspired Dr Bill’s career:
Dr Bill first tasted Glenmorangie Original in 1984, when he was studying for his PhD. He has described the taste of its signature whisky as a “eureka moment” that sparked his interest in whisky. “I learned I was drinking a glass of neat Glenmorangie 10 Year Old. And I remember it exactly all these years on, the creaminess and the fruitiness, tastes I still call upon in creating all Glenmorangie’s expressions even now.” Soon it was clear that his career would lie in whisky. He explains: “I felt a sense of destiny there and then.”
In 1995, he joined Glenmorangie as Distillery Manager. And, envisioning an even more delicate spirit, he altered the moment that spirit is taken from Distillery’s unusually tall stills, to magnify Glenmorangie’s fruity finesse. At that time, Glenmorangie’s designer cask programme was in its infancy – over time, Dr Bill’s influence would take it to new heights. The same year, with wood finishing in its infancy, Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish was released. Widely credited in the industry with putting wood finishing on the map, Dr Bill was inspired to experiment with an exotic array of cask types, opening up new tastes and beginning a new trend in world whisky.
About Glenmorangie’s designer 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, heavily toasted and lightly 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 form the heart of the Distillery’s signature whisky Glenmorangie The Original and are used in the creation of other select whiskies.
About Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish:
In 1995, Glenmorangie released the world’s first whisky finished in Madeira casks – Glenmorangie Madeira Wood Finish. This whisky would go on to form the distillery’s first range of wood finishes – alongside the sherry and port wood finishes.
About Glenmorangie’s house style:
Glenmorangie is famed for its soft, house style, epitomised in its flagship whisky The Original. To create that award-winning single malt, the Distillery’s whisky creators take their elegant spirit and age it for 12 years in bourbon casks. The result is a luscious, creamy whisky, filled with notes of orange, peach and vanilla. Those elegant flavours are then elevated by time and skill in Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old. That expression combines whisky aged in classic bourbon casks with Oloroso sherry casks for hints of figs, caramelised orange and flowers. Now, Glenmorangie’s hallmark flavours are magnified by age once more in Glenmorangie Altus 25 Years Old. Marrying classic bourbon casks with whisky finished in Madeira casks, this aged single malt takes the Distillery’s signature style to new heights.
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.
