Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake Review

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake made me a bit weary. The only other whisky I’ve had finished in a Tokaji barrel was the 1995 Longrow and I hated it. It’s one of the worst whiskies I’ve had and is the worst Longrow, or Springbank for that matter, I’ve had… by a long shot.

In theory, the heavier, funkier, peatier spirit of Longrow should match up well with the dessert-sweet Tokaji barrel, but in that case I found nothing but clashing profiles that turned me off from being at all curious about Tokaji finishes. So I’m having a hard time seeing how this is going to work with the already sweet Glenmo.

Maybe it’ll work and the Tale of Cake will be of having it and eating it too. Or maybe it’ll be an overly sweet mess. Only one way to find out: let’s get to drinkin’.

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Natural Color

Style: Single Malt (Scotch)
Region: Highlands, Scotland
Distiller: Glenmorangie

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Tokaji
Age: NAS
ABV: 46%

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake Price: $100

Related Whiskey

Glenmorangie The Original 10 years
X by Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie Nectar D’ Or 12 Years
Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Years
Glenmorangie A Tale Of Winter

White background tasting shot with the Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Some time ago, our Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill, found himself musing over how some of his most joyful memories came from cake.” – Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake Tasting Notes

EYE
Apricot

NOSE
Dried orchard fruit, overripe apricots, citrus sponge cake, vanilla fondant and subtle spice, malt and tropical fruit notes.

Not super complex, but elegant and buttery with strong fruity notes that remind me of the Nectar D’ Or in a way.

PALATE
Malt, dried orchard fruit, citrus sponge cake, vanilla, malt, roasted nuts, nutmeg and some touches of oak, copper and yellow raisins.

Based on the name, I was expecting more cake. I get some, and it’s nice, but it’s not a super cakey profile, more fruity.

FINISH
Med-long -> Fruit, oak, citrus and a nice bit of waxy vanilla as it fades out.

BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good sense of balance, medium body and a soft velvety feel.

Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake – Overall Thoughts and Score

The more I sip the less “cake” I get out of this. That’s not a bad thing, I’m not poo-pooing it because I’m not quite getting the connection, I’m just not getting the super cakey notes I’ve picked up in other whiskies like the Glenfiddich Select Cask or the 1997 Munros Ledaig 20 years. Both of those had a stronger cake sense than this, but this is still a good whisky.

The fruity thread that weaves through from nose to finish is quite nice. It gives this apricot-meets-sultanas-meets-dried-apples essence to the entire whisky that all the other notes revolve around. Glenmorangie A Tale Of Cake is a perfectly pleasant sipper and sometimes that’s all you need.

SCORE: 3/5 (above average, worth checking out ~ B- | 80-82)

*Disclosure: The sample for this Scotch review was graciously sent to me by the company without obligation. The views, opinions, and tasting notes are 100% my own.