Glenmorangie Lasanta
(46%, OB 2008, Oloroso finish)

Nose: sweet like a dessert wine, with lots of honey and caramel. Quite elegant hints of crème brûlée and cinnamon. Some milk chocolate. Not as lush and vibrant as its sibling Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX, but they’re definitely members of the same family. Mouth: medium-bodied, warm and honeyed. Starting on raisins and toffee but growing darker with burnt sugar and walnut aromas. There’s a gingery aftertaste that’s a bit out of key for me. Finish: quite long with hints of ginger, dried oranges and cocoa.

This Glenmorangie Lasanta is quite simple but beautifully designed and very good value. Still I prefer the Sonnalta PX even though it costs a bit more. Around € 45.

Score: 83/100

Glenmorangie Nectar D’Or
(46%, OB 2008, Sauternes finish)

Nose: apples and cinnamon. Apricots and tangerine. Hints of pineapple on syrup. Some kiwi. Quite warm with hints of cake and lemon pie. Honeysuckle. Very sweet. Mouth: indeed very sweet but it shows more spices from the oak now. Much thicker and richer than the Original. Big hints of marmalade and all kinds of yellow fruits. Honey. Lots of vanilla and white chocolate. Mocha in the aftertaste. Finish: medium length, creamy and firm enough thanks to the oak. Hints of ginger.

Certainly a big step up from the Glenmorangie Original and for me the best of the finishes. Very sweet but not cloying. Worth the extra money and a good after dinner choice. Around € 50.

Score: 85/100

Glenmorangie Original is their entry malt. It’s 10 years old and the only release in the current range that’s bottled at 40%.

Glenmorangie 10 yo Original
(40%, OB 2008)

Nose: malty/fruity start with tangerine, ripe gooseberry, lots of pear and honey. Vanilla cream. Some caramel. There’s a buttery side to it that I don’t like too much, but overall not bad. Mouth: weak delivery. Again fruity. Apples, pears, oranges, but with less appealing flowery, even perfumy hints as well (geranium?). Slightly spicy and zesty. Almond. Dry oak. Finish: short but quite warm, with apple and nutmeg.

Not bad as an entry level malt with a sharp pricing. Not something I would actively recommend though. Around € 30.

Score: 77/100

Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban
(46%, OB 2008, Port finish)

Nose: instant notes of pears poached in wine. Tangerine and cinnamon. Hints of raspberry and pink grapefruit. Angelica fruit cake with a few floral hints. Not far away from the sherry version. Quite good, but again a bit ‘designed’. Mouth: sweet and sugary with milk chocolate and molasses. More spices than the other wine finishes (cinnamon and cloves). Not really expressive and definitely too winey overall. Finish: dying really soon, quite noticeable compared to the others. Oranges and dry oak.

Not my favourite Glenmorangie. The nose was better than expected but it lost some points for the winey palate. Around € 45.

Score: 80/100

Signet is a mixture of different types of malt. It uses some 20% of ‘chocolate malt’ (normally used to produce stout beer) and roasted barley which is dried at a higher temperature and roasted to a higher degree. It’s also a mixture of different ages (up to 35 years old) and cask types (refill bourbon, ‘virgin’ new oak, sherry oak and wine barrels).

It comes in a beautiful bottle that’s smoked at the top and gradually transparent towards the bottom. The lid of the box also serves as a plinth.

Glenmorangie Signet
(46%, OB 2008)

Nose: complex and perfumy. Reminds me of aftershave in a way. Armani Signet? Rather oaky. There are indications of oloroso casks (marmalade, raisins, chocolate), but also of new oak and bourbon (ginger, cinnamon). Hints of smoke, toasted bread and roasted coffee. Even some old glue. Very interesting. Mouth: rich, with fruit cake, vanilla and chocolate. Lots of ginger and nutmeg and again some roasted flavours. Hints of tobacco. Walnut oil. Finish: the wood is taking over, nutmeg again. Rather tannic. Spicy Mexican chocolate with a hint of lime.

Very different in style. It had to grow on me, but in the end I was really convinced of its qualities. Bonus point for the innovation. It was a limited edition but it’s still available at around € 140.

Score: 86/100

Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX
(46%, OB 2009)

Nose: aromatic and luscious. A very complex play of chocolate, raisins and toffee. Vanilla, cinnamon, ginger. Richly sherried but it respects the original spirit, with hints of apricots, honey and oranges. Wonderful notes of roasted nuts. Sweet, rich and quite magical. Mouth: good mouthfeel with vanilla, lovely coffee beans and blood oranges. Sweet and coating but never too sugary. Soft pepper. Tobacco. Plums and berries. Nice balance between malty flavours and the sherry again. Very polished. Finish: long and creamy, on demerara sugar and spices.

I must admit that until now, Glenmorangie had a rather commercial image in my opinion, with a well composed but harmless profile. This is totally different though, quite unique and very drinkable. Very modern and meticulously designed but the result is great. Around € 70 for 1 liter.

Score: 89/100