Jason's Scotch Whisky Reviews

Monday, January 30, 2012

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