Review by: The Muskox

Yesterday I was lucky enough to attend a tasting of Glenmorangie and Ardbeg whiskies, put on by the lovely Toronto Whisky Society and cohosted by Canadian brand ambassador Bry Simpson! We started off with this classic and well-loved Glenmorangie expression, which I’ve somehow never tried in its latest 14-year-old form.

According to Bry, Quinta Ruban’s shift from 12 to 14 years old was the result of some secret market research! As it turns out, the last batches of the 12 were vatted to be more like 13 years old, to test whether it’d sell better with more age. They did, and now we have a 14!

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Distillery: Glenmorangie

Bottler: Official bottling

Region: Highlands

ABV: 46%

Age: 14 years

Cask type: Finished for two years in ruby port casks.

Price: $112 CAD

Color: Pinkish copper. Natural Color. Non-Chill Filtered.

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Nose: Sweet and pink, just like the colour. Lots of fruit – crisp apples, peaches, raisins, and an unexpected hint of pineapple. Caramel and cotton candy. Subtle floral character, Turkish Delight maybe. Underneath is a darker, even musty character – some leather, hay, dark chocolate, and nutmeg.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives sweet, but dries up quickly. More crisp apples and some candied ginger. Develops to varnished spicy oak, old leather armchair, woody spices, and some bitter orange.

Finish: Medium-length, turning rather tart. Sour cherry pie, sweet vermouth, lingering oak spice, and a bit of a buttery character.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Negroni-on-a-stick”

Conclusion: That’s rather good! It’s not too sweet, has decent complexity, and more of an earthy character than… well, any other Glenmorangie. It’s similar to what I remember from the 12, but maybe with a slightly stronger oak and spice character.

Final Score: 81.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.