Review: Glenmorangie "Nectar D'Or" 12 year old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Hi Jason,


I'm currently working on a men's magazine in Ontario that is distributed through two independent men's fashion boutiques. I'm looking to buy temporary second rights for previously published reviews on European whiskeys. Would you be willing to chat with me about this? I can call you tomorrow. What would be the best time and number for me to reach out to you. Let me know.


Thanks!


Lisa

. . . 

I receive a lot of unsolicited email.  Most of it is from:  (1) readers;  (2) Nigerian bankers who want to pay me $1 million if I give my banking info;  (3) male enhancement pill vendors, and; (4) some really odd stuff that I am not sure if the person is serious or not.  The above fell into that last category.

When I first breezed through the email, I was not reading it too closely, and all I could think of was someone wanted me to contribute to a men's magazine, which immediately conjured up images of Swank, Oui and Mayfair magazine covers.  I instantly thought no way! and how much? pretty much simultaneously.  Re-reading it a second time, it dawned on me that this person may be serious.  So, I googled her name (I have omitted her surname to avoid a lawsuit) and found out she was an editor of a women's fashion magazine, as well as a regular contributor to another that seemed to deal with makeup and the plight of the single woman in the dating world.  In a word, she appeared legit, so I gave her a number and a time, and didn't she call right on the button.  What follows is some of our conversation . . .

"Jason, I am looking for positive reviews," she cheerfully intoned.  I felt sunlight pouring out of my telephone receiver.

"What do you mean positive?"  I responded defensively, doing my best to fend off the kaleidoscope of happiness coming from her bright dandelion and butterfly voice.

"Well, your Lauder's blended Scotch review references some 'Dow Chemical action' in the tasting note and you follow it up with a very poorly written haiku that you say is as poorly written as the whisky tastes.  That's kinda negative," Lisa demurred.  "You ever listen to The Doors?"

"You mean Jim Morrison?  Yeah sure, when I was 15."

"Okay!  I am looking for the Soft Parade.  Remember that album?"

"You can't be serious!  That was a terrible album with the brass and string instrument arrangements.  You want soft, but that is flaccid . . . well at least till Jim got to Miami."   

"Jason, readers like writing that is uplifting," she said with more cereal sweetness than a bowl of Lucky Charms could ever deliver.

"Well, I prefer the album Absolutely Live.  I am thinking When the Music's Over.  Jim begins that song with some sort of primal scream or groan.  That's kinda how I think of my reviews."

"Just send me some reviews that are uplifting and soft."

"How about semi-erect?"

"Just send me some reviews like the Balvenie Doublewood one where you quote a Thomas Hardy poem."

WTF?  Is that the scent of lilacs coming up through the phone?  Who is this super upbeat, cloud nine chick?  I am not talking to a freelance editor trying to pull together content for a men's clothing store magazine, but rather Mother Earth herself.

. . . 

So, I sent her stuff, and she told me she had the right to edit anything I submitted, and between her clear blue sky voice and my overall desire to be a nice guy, for once, I agreed.

Reading my heavily edited reviews, I knew what a dog felt like after a 'family planning' session with the veterinarian or what it felt like to be the sole guy in an Ellen DeGeneres TV studio audience.  But, I thought, I do have a tendency to wantonly distribute my seeds of negativity in whisky reviews and in my outlook on life in general.  So, I thought I would challenge myself to think of a single malt Scotch whisky that I could truly describe in purely positive, teddy bear terms.  A whisky that is all rainbows, unicorns and hammered dulcimers (which I want you to listen to as you read the following review!).  And the one that comes to mind is Glenmorangie "Nectar D'Or" 12 years.

ABV
46% and non-chill filtered.

Nose (undiluted)
Honey, peaches, lightly peated, navel oranges and a little scent of dulse.

Palate (undiluted)
Creamy, honeyed, pancakes and maple syrup, crushed pistachio, phyllo dough, baklava.

Finish (undiluted)
Drying, salted white chocolate, tangerine, malty notes, brazil nuts and somehow lemony with tart citrus, herbal flavors.  You are left with a delightful effervescence too.

Hydrate?
Nectar D'Or is bottled at 46% ABV, but it sure does not taste like it.  Served neat, it is deceptively smooth, silky with some effervescence and flavor complexity mid-palate and on the finish.  Really amazing how smooth this high proof dram is.  However, adding water, a few drops to start, can really bring out different characteristics that are not present when enjoyed neat.  Water accentuates creamy, vanilla and oak notes, and certainly softens the overall profile.  Very little water is needed though.  It is very easy to add too much and overly dilute this malt.  You will have to experiment.  For me, I really like it neat.

General Impressions
Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or is a luxuriant single malt exhibiting the quintessential sweetness of honey, light maple syrup with lemon meringue, exotic spices and ingredients like  pistachio and phyllo dough found in baklava.  Matter of fact, the perfect food pairing for this single malt is baklava.  But, get the good stuff.  Go to a Syrian or Lebanese bakery that makes it fresh.  Take a bite of this sweet pastry and chase with this single malt that is a dessert whisky, if there ever was one.

The back story of this single malt is that it spent 10 years in ex-bourbon casks before being transferred to Sauternes casks (casks that formerly held a deliciously sweet French white wine from Bordeaux).  The result is a whisky that is light to start with and given a sweetness that is quite unique.  The sweetness is remarkably balanced by some dry qualities upon the palate.

This single malt is all rainbows, unicorns, cotton candy and sunshine that would even cause a scowling Jim Morrison to lose his signature sullen look and grant us an uncharacteristic smile!

So, if you want to light my fire, yours or someone else's, pour a dram of Glenmorangie Nectar D'Or.

Cheers!


Jason Debly  

Review: Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12 years

To have a basic understanding of the Glenmorangie Distillery, you need to start with Glenmorangie Original (pictured above).

The Original is a ten year old single malt.  An introductory single malt that is aged exclusively in ex-bourbon casks (American oak) from Heaven Hill and Jack Daniels.  Accordingly, it comes as no surprise that the malt is light bodied and enjoys flavors of citrus/orange, peach, mint and coconut.

Several other Glenmorangie releases basically stand on the shoulders of the Original.  While the Original is a 10 year old single malt, several other bottlings from this distillery are 12 years, and those additional ("extra matured") two years involve time in casks other than American oak.  Accordingly, their "extra matured" product line is composed of (1) Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban (extra matured in port casks from Portugal); (2) Glenmorangie Lasanta (extra matured in sherry casks from Spain); and (3) Glenmorangie Nectar D'or (extra matured in Sauternes casks from France).  Clearly, this is a distillery that is well known for single malts with various "finishes."

'Finishing' a whisky refers to aging a whisky briefly for one or two years (could be more I suppose as there are no hard & fast rules) in a different cask that usually has previously held sherry, wine, port or other interesting spirit that is thought to compliment and nicely accent the distillery's whisky.

And that concept brings us to the subject of this evening's review: Glenmorangie The Lasanta 12 years

Nose (undiluted)
Limes, oranges, raspberries, fog hanging over a bay, and brine of the sea in the air.

Palate (undiluted)
Powerful arrival of sweet sherry!  Huge!  Big and spicy, raisins, plums, prunes and oak somewhere underneath.  A tad fiery upon first opening bottle.  Let a week pass and what was once hot becomes great warmth.

Finish (undiluted)
Tingling oak, drying with smoke and somewhat winey.

General Impressions
This is not a single malt that makes me swoon like a teenage girl at a midnight showing of Twilight.  The Lasanta is an entry level sherry bomb.  Not particularly sophisticated.  Not what I would regard as exhibiting great complexity of flavors.  But, it does deliver a nice velvety blanket of sherry, raisins and dark spiced fruits.

The price is very reasonable and among the lowest in the 12 year old single malt market segment.  For that reason, I think you are getting fair value for the dollar.

It is chill filtered with an ABV of 46%.  Hence, it packs a wallop.  A few drops of water is needed to tame the wild and sometimes a tad hot palate.  For some, they may want a teaspoon to a double pour.

When I first opened the bottle, the malt tasted a little hot and very slight bitterness on the finish.  It softened up a bit after a week, becoming less hot and more like very concentrated dark chocolate.  This is a bottle that gets better (up to a point) the longer it is open (within reason - ie. 4-6 months max).

The initial hot/bitter elements in taste are due in part to the high abv (46%) and the use of wood by the master distiller.  Remember the Lasanta, for the first 10 years of its life was essentially the Original (a spirit aged exclusively in American oak), and then in a mere two further years of finishing becomes a bombastic sherried malt.  The casks used were probably first fill sherry casks/butts for the most part.  The use of such potently seasoned casks/butts may contribute to some 'woody' elements of taste and bitterness.

In any event, you should not be overly concerned about how it tastes upon opening because a little time and maybe some water will tame it to your liking.  In general, this Glenmorangie is rather sweet once the bottle has been open for a bit.

Conclusion
This is a solid effort in the entry level sherried 12 year old malt marketplace.  Lasanta competes with others like: Aberlour 12, GlenDronach 12, Balvenie Doublewood 12, and Glenfarclas 12.  Is it the best of the sherried whiskies?  Probably not, but is at or near the lowest price point.  Something to consider in these times.

Cheers!


Jason Debly

P.S. - Want an example of a home run hit by this distillery?  Try the Quinta Ruban.
Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2012. All rights reserved. Any and all use is prohibited without permission.  Please note the photograph of the bottle of Glenmorangie was taken by Flickr member picmaker1 and he is the holder of all copyright.  His photograph may not be reproduced without his permission.  All other photographs were taken by Jason Debly and may be reproduced with credit and link back to this site.

Review: Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt Scotch "The Quinta Ruban" 12 years

Nose (undiluted)
Orange peel, dark chocolate, faint hospital bandages with medicinal ointment, and freshly turned over, early morning, damp earth, as you hunt for worms for that fishing trip.

Palate (undiluted)
Rich, velvety, mouth filling body of loganberry, blackberries, raspberries.  Think Christmas fruitcake with lots of chunks of dark plum, raisins and dark cake bread.

Finish (undiluted)
Fantastic finish.  What started initially as sweet quickly became mouth watering, and then dry and by the time you swallow, you are left with dusty apricot and port wine notes.

General Impressions
A few months ago, I wrote about my frustration with encountering mediocre after mediocre malt.  Had a real slump in my reviews.  I was in search of a new discovery.  Well, I have made a new discovery in the Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban.

This 12 year old malt tastes much older than it is.  I feel like it is a 15 or 18 year old because of the vibrant flavors and sophistication of the overall integration of this malt.  There is no young whisky here that is unruly.  We are talking serious refinement.

The powerful flavors comes in part from the 46% ABV.

The unique velvety texture comes from being aged in the port pipes for 2 years.

The port is a nice change from the Oloroso sherry casks that are so frequently used in the single malt production carried out at so many distilleries.  How come we don't see more port finishes or the use of such casks in the ageing of single malt spirit?  The answer lies in the fact that master blenders find the port cask a fickle creature.  The reaction between port casks and the distillery spirit is not always predictable, which can lead to disappointing results.  Another problem is supply.  Good port casks are not as widely available as say Olorso sherry casks.

The Quinta Ruban is a poor man's Balvenie 21 year old Portwood
This single malt reminds me of The Balvenie 21 year old Portwood finish.  Another stunner!  The Balvenie is superior to Glenmorangie, but one must remember that the former is one of the greatest single malts I have ever tasted.  The Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban at a third of the price is still in the same neighbourhood!

This single malt is also non-chill filtered.

So, let's put it all together:  higher than average ABV, port finish, non-chill filtered, plus obviously great wood (ex-bourbon casks) to start and you have a dream of a dram here.  If you like sherried malts, you're gonna love this one.  Fans of Oban 14, Clynelish 14, The Glenlivet 18, GlenDronach 15 and higher end Glenfarclas are going to really appreciate the Glenmorangie 12 year old Quinta Ruban matured in Port Casks.  This malt puts to shame a lot of 12 year old competitors like The Macallan 12 years (a truly overrated dram if there ever was one!).

Highly recommended!

Cheers!


Jason Debly

Copyright © Jason Debly, 2009-2016. All rights reserved. Any and all use is prohibited without permission.