Glenmorangie Signet Review

Glenmorangie Signet is their ultra-premium core release. It uses a high amount of chocolate malt, is only distilled once a year and the cask management to create it is quite involved. The notes I have from a deeply nerdy tasting says it goes something like this.

Like almost everything at Glenmo, they start by filling approximately 270 toasted wine barrels with a 10+ years old spirit, but this time it’s not the OG 10, but one containing the chocolate malt. The whisky stays in those toasted barrels for at least 2 years. During this time the angels take their share and it gets down to about 167 full barrels worth of whisky which gets dumped into a blending tank.

After being dumped, mixed and allowed to briefly marry, the whisky is put into a variety of wine and sherry barrels where the whisky sits for at least 6 months, but up to 3 years. Finally, those wine and sherry barrels get dumped and blended together. Unofficially the whisky hovers around the 15-year mark, but no age is ever put on the bottle because they’re going for a flavor profile, not a number.

There could be, and probably is, more to the process, but this info came a Signet tasting I did with the brand many years ago. Hopefully this gives you a good idea of just how much work goes into making the Signet.

Now, let’s get to drinkin’!

Glenmorangie Signet – Details and Tasting Notes

Whiskey Details

Natural Color

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

Mash Bill: 100% Malted Barley (high chocolate malt)
Cask: ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry, New Charred Oak
Age: NAS (supposedly 15+)
ABV: 46%

Glenmorangie Signet Price: $220

Related Whiskey

Glenmorangie Original 10 Years
Glenmorangie Lasanta 12
Glenmorangie Astar
Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 14
Glenmorangie 18 Years

White background tasting shot with the Glenmorangie Signet bottle and a glass of whiskey next to it.

“Inspired by the simple pleasure found in a cup of coffee, comes The Signet’s spiralling explosion of flavour, with sizzling spices and bursts of bitter mocha mellowed by smooth butterscotch.” – Glenmorangie

Glenmorangie Signet Tasting Notes

EYE
Dark ruby

NOSE
Cocoa, vanilla, butterscotch, dark fruit leather, malt, Dots, tropical fruit, orchard fruit, citrus peels and spice.

I love everything about this nose, it’s a lovely wave of deep sweets.

PALATE
Roasted malt, cocoa, vanilla, dark fruit leather, Dots, tropical fruit, orchard fruit, lemon zest and spice with a touch of oak and cereal sweetness

The roasty notes in this make it stand apart from everything else Glenmo does, and that’s a good thing here.

FINISH
Long -> fruity fade with bits of powdered sugar, cocoa, dark fruit and roasted malt.

BALANCE, BODY & FEEL
Well balanced, full body and a soft oily feel.

Glenmorangie Signet – Overall Thoughts and Score

It’s not what you typically think of when you think Glenmorangie, and I think that’s why Signet has such a huge following both within the hardcore Glenmo fans and the larger whisky-loving audience. For Glenmo lovers like myself, the Signet shows us more facets of what can come out of the distillery when the malt and casks are changed up; a drinkable glimpse into an alternate reality.

For those who aren’t Glenmo lovers, this gives folks something other than the usual bright and fruity whisky. It’s something deeper and darker to sink into and that has an appeal to a certain group of drinkers. Though no matter how you feel about Glenmo, and even if you hate this, I think we can all agree on the Glenmorangie Signet being one of the most unique whiskies/profiles in the world of Scotch.

SCORE: 4/5 (good, definitely recommend ~ B+ | 87-89) – Thanks to Marshall and Travis for the samples