The Glenmorangie A Tale Of… series is now well established. Cake, Winter, Forest, Tokyo, Ice Cream… and now, Spice. Like its predecessors, Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices is exactly what it says on the tin (or rather, the fancy presentation box)
The sixth instalment promises a riot of flavours inspired by the bustling, colourful, nose-tingling experience of wandering through a spice market. You know, that thing you do all the time?
Conjuring up images of Marrakech and sweet aromatic mayhem isn’t all Glenmo is up to here. It’s also the first time the Highland whisky maker has finished a whisky in four different cask types.
A tale of four casks and loads of spices
That’s a lot of wood to wrangle, even for a team led by Dr Bill Lumsden, the distillery’s eternally curious director of whisky creation, and master blender Gillian Macdonald. So, what’s in the mix?
It starts in the usual place, bourbon barrels, the Honda Civic of whisky. Always reliable, always gets you there. Then, things go sideways in the best possible way.
Some of the whisky went into Moroccan red wine casks made from French oak, a first for Glenmorangie, bringing tannic bite and aromatic spice. Others got finished in new charred oak casks, adding a punch of toasted wood and smoky spice. Then there’s the shaved and toasted red wine casks, which peel back layers of oak and re-toast them for fruity sweetness and wine-kissed depth. Finally, good old Pedro Ximénez sherry casks deliver rich, syrupy sweetness to balance the fire with some indulgent sugar.
Dr Bill and Gillian Macdonald enjoying the new whisky
Spice rack meets science lab
The idea is basically spice bazaar meets patisserie. Ginger, cumin, saffron, nutmeg, chilli and anise on one side; sugared almonds, rose, jasmine, and a minty-eucalyptus coolness on the other. A sensory tug-of-war. But one that’s in harmony. A tug-of-peace? You know what, let’s drop that and move on.
Glenmorangie has always been most creative distilleries in Scotland. The A Tale Of… series is its excuse to play mad scientist. From Tokaji dessert wine casks in A Tale of Cake to woodland botanicals in A Tale of the Forest, it’s never been afraid to colour outside the lines.
A Tale of Spices carries that baton. It’s not subtle, but then neither are spice markets. It’s the kind of whisky that has you wondering whether that note was more cumin or more anise. (Spoiler: both.) Anyone can dream up a wacky finish, but it takes genuine craft to pull together four wildly different cask types and make the result drinkable.
You can buy Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices now!
Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices review
Does it succeed? I would say yes. I was pleasantly surprised at how measured it is, given how much is going on. At the core is marmalade, a classic Glenmo note plus creamy vanilla and chocolate that give all those spices a platform to meld into. Expect ginger, nutmeg, saffron, and chilli, wrapped in sugared almonds, rose petals, and eucalyptus freshness.
This series is fun. Whisky is fun. Remember? Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices is exactly what limited editions should be: bold, inventive, and a little bit bonkers. The price is also accessible enough. I always want whisky to be cheaper so more people can afford it, but you have to appreciate them #marketforces.
It also feels on brand for the brand that created colour campaigns with Miles Aldridge and agency DDB Paris, or Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto, to a slightly ill-fated whisky made to mix. Less so for the one chasing aspirational Macallan-esque luxury on the coattails of Han Solo’s Bespin jacket. I like the Glenmo that feels like it’s building towards a brighter, more colourful whisky future. But maybe it can have its cake, eat it, then make a whisky that tastes like said cake.
Anyway, as usual there’s a full tasting note below and you just click the link in the product name to buy to buy the whisky.
Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices tasting note:
Nose: Through orange chocolate and crème brûlee comes perfume and spice — rose petals, lilac, and carnation, chased by cumin, saffron, and nutmeg. Add water, and delicate fruits and a fresh menthol breeze sneak out.
Palate: Ginger, black pepper, and mint are followed by toffee, demerara sugar, and sugar-coated almonds. Then comes that eucalyptus lift with marmalade and dark chocolate in the backdrop.
Finish: The finish lingers with clove, leather, and peppermint, leaving your tongue humming like it’s been on a spice-market bar crawl.
