Aged beauty

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Aged beauty

Tuesday, 25 September 2018 | Chahak Mittal

Aged beauty

Dr Bill Lumsden, master distiller and Glenmorangie company’s director of whisky creation, talks about its first single malt to have been entirely matured in American rye whisky casks. By Chahak Mittal

Imagine a house with four rooms, all attached to each other and each filled with wine glasses, fruits, green and black glass bottles around the walls and shelves, frames, colours and lights. It evokes quite the epicurean decadence of royalty, an unending feast.

Master distiller Dr Bill Lumsden, also Glenmorangie company’s director of whisky creation, walked us down the pavilion into four such surreal cubicles, each with a unique theme, opening doors to whisky-lovers and connoisseurs of whisky to enlighten their tastebuds and make them have a multi-sensorial experience into the whisky brand, launching its ‘Taste The Difference’ campaign.

The first cubicle showcased huge glass cylinders and barrel-like containers full of ingredients like oranges, ginger, spices, pineapples, jaggery, apricots, and many more with which the whisky is prepared while telling us about its evolution over time. Two sections catch the eye as one enters the room — ‘The Lasanta’ on one hand and ‘The Original’ on the other.

“The first room talks about the company, tradition and the history of Glen. It tells about how it has evolved over the years since 1843, when its first distillery was established. You can see how this room brings about the difference between Glen’s two most cherished drinks and their uniqueness. First, The Original, the classic malt which is stored for 10 years to derive its best taste — creamy and fruity. Second, the 12-year-old, The Lasanta, which is Gaelic for warmth and passion. Do you know why it says that? It blends cream and dark chocolate, dry fruits and fresh honey. You will never find its textures hard to swallow. They are as mild and soft.”

The room was full of pictures of bourbon casks in which The Lasanta gets matured in before being moved to Oloroso and Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks for their finishing period.

While the first room might enlighten one with what the whisky brand has come up with, the second cubicle is about the methods that were used in the primitive ages to make the designer casks and the processing and selection of the wood for the same. As Lumsden says, “It talks about the wood that we choose to make the casks.”

As around 60 per cent of the whisky’s flavour comes from the cask, hence selecting and crafting the highest quality of oak is simply essential. It produces a subtly fragrant spirit with 140 aromas.

The company, based in Scottish Highlands, uses American white oak which gives it the elegant taste. The wood comes from the Ozark Mountains of Missouri, which has slow growth-wood which brings the greatest maturation effects. The slow-growth timber contains more of the porous growth which takes place in springtime and it is this wood which goes into their ‘designer casks’. But first it is air-dried (not kiln-dried). All drying reduces astringency and further improves the wood’s permeability, but it is air-drying which additionally brings out the soft and smooth qualities of their whisky.

Lumsden talks about the third room that “takes into the world of the most prestigious malt whiskys of Glenmorangie introducing its exclusive edition, Spios.”

 Glenmorangie Spios, which is Scots Gaelic for spice, beautifully evokes the whisky’s origins. It has been matured solely in casks that previously held American rye whisky, a spirit known for its distinctive, spicy characteristics. Spios has a herbal nose and a rich, spicy palate, followed by a long, sweet finish. It is the ninth limited edition bottling in the distillery's Private Edition series, and the first single malt to have ever been entirely matured in American rye whisky casks.

“The most unique feature of this single malt whisky is that it brings together rare cinnamon and American rye,” he said. It is aged for 10 years in wooden casks before serving, he added.

The whisky’s texture is oily and full of apricot, peaches, avocados and oranges.

Lumsden took us into the four cubicles, while introducing the process and ingredients that go into making the single malt whisky.

Speaking about this new era of innovation, Stephane de Meurville, managing director Moet Hennessy India said, “Glenmorangie is a ground-breaking single malt scotch whisky, wonderfully complex and exceptionally smooth. We are among the pioneers of extra-maturation, and continue to keep pushing the boundaries of wood finishing. To celebrate this, we have launched ‘Taste The Difference’, a forward-thinking experience from the Glenmorangie maison which elevates the consumer understanding about the brand in India. Being among the leading markets for Glenmorangie in Asia today, ‘Taste The Difference’ presents us with an opportunity to enhance our consumer engagement by setting new benchmarks in this market.”

Photo: Pankaj Kumar

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