Glenmorangie: A Midwinter Night’s Dram

Nose: Sultanas, red apples, brown sugar, marmalade, and sponge cake.

Palate: Much the same as the nose, but with some added almonds and citrus peel – and perhaps just a slight touch of cinnamon and vanilla.

Mouthfeel: On the heavier side of mid-weight.  Silky smooth, and slightly oily, with not a hint of alcohol

Finish: Mid-length, a reasonable amount of heat, with traces of red apples and a touch of marmalade.

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Bottled at 43%, the Midwinter Night’s Dram was a limited release by Glenmorangie in 2015.  It is a no-age statement whisky that was aged in ex-Bourbon casks before being finished in ex-Oloroso Sherry Spanish oak casks.  It won gold at the 2016 IWSC awards.  Unfortunately for those of us not in the British Isles, A Midwinter Night’s Dram was a UK-only exclusive.

The Glenmorangie distillery, and its 8 metre high stills were established on the shores of the Fornoch Firth in 1843, and is known for never using casks more than twice (although I’ve never managed to find out if that means twice as whisky casks, which is probable, or twice in totality).  Dr Bill Lumsden is the current head of Glenmorangie’s whisky; a biochemist with a PhD in Microbial Physiology and Fementation Science who developed a fascination for all things whisky whilst a student when he first tried the Glenmorangie Ten.   It is arguably Dr Lumsden’s scientific approach to both the whisky, and the wood in which it is aged, that has made Glenmorangie the brand that it is today; a leader in wood selection and in finishing whiskies in secondary cask types.

This whisky, is one of my favourite sherry finished whiskies, normally a style that I prefer from Speyside over the Highland, but this is an exceptionally fruity and smooth whisky.  It is unfortunate for me that it was never released for sale here (in Australia), but I did manage to score myself a few bottles nonetheless.  It is also unfortunate that it was a limited release, as I’d be quite happy buying a couple of bottles every year.  Such is life.