This Glenmorangie ‘Cake’, a NAS finished in ex-Tokaji barrels, inaugurates the new course of the brand that was once of the Sixteen Men of Tain (now there are 24, if you’re asking): no more Private Editions, those that ended up in -alta and -anta, and let’s welcome new ‘special’ bottlings like this one. They must have finished the words in -alta and -anta, you see. Indiscretions from LVMH management, among other things, say that the new course of Glenmorangie will be “much less Glen and more and more Morangie”, whatever that means: the fact that this bottling is called “a tale of cake” lets us imagine something. We bow down to such a lucid strategy and put our noses above the glass, because we love Glenmorangie’s whisky so much – better concentrate on that, come on.
N: very seductive and soft, it reveals the soul of the distillery but at the same time it doesn’t hide the weight of the maturation in Tokaji. The nose is really sugary: the fruity part is of peach juice, apricot, passion fruit, mandarin and sultanas. White chocolate, too; a dominant icing in all its manifestations, and then a part of milk, between cream ice cream and Galatine candies. Marzipan. A little bit of ‘acidity’ (wild strawberries?) and an aromatic part between Traminer and rose water. Sweet flavored candles, which we discover to be called Yankee Candle.
P: sweet, very sweet but not cloying – start with a clearer vinous acidity, orange liqueur, sultanas, a bit of candied mango (artificial tropical). Turns to dark, dragee orange peel and stuffed sweet licorice. Lots of apple.
F: sweet coffee, orange marmalade, peaches cooked in wine – and a final closure of Slivovitz. Chocolate.
If you don’t like sugar, well, this is not the beach to land on – we’re dealing with a very sweet whisky, whose ‘construction’ you can feel. And yet Bill Lumsden’s wisdom makes itself felt, the profile, even if sweet, is always balanced and very pleasant. We feared a diabetic massacre, but luckily we escaped it: we only hope that there will always be many Glenmorangies around, and we, in the secret of our dormitory, continue to dream of middle-aged bourbon expressions bottled cask strength… But maybe this is too Glen for them, let’s see. 85/100.
Recommended soundtrack: Cake – War pigs.
