First stop in our Glenmo mega-series is a re-review of the Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years. It’s the foundation for just about everything else Glenmo does and has long been a go-to whisky of mine. Though not recently. Not for any single or significant reason, but more on that later.
Glenmorangie has long been known as a quality whisky, but for a long time its bottles were plain and nondescript. That all changed in In 2004 when the Distillery was sold to Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton for around $300 million Pounds. Soon after that purchase, the now iconic curvy bottles were introduced.
This sexier new look combined with the use of French sounding names helped position Glenmorangie as a luxury brand. Cementing its place as premium was Ealanta being named best whisky in the world for 2013. From there they expanded deeper into the premium and ultra premium category with some bottles going for $10,000+.
That’s a hell of a journey for a distillery that started life as a farm brewery though, through it all, they’ve never lost sight of the quality in the Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years. And speaking of journeys, it’s been a while since I’ve sat down and spent some time with this expression, or any Glenmo really. That’s all going to change over the next few weeks as we do a deep dive into the world of Glenmo.
Let’s get to drinkin’.
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years – 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
Age: 10 Years
ABV: 43%
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years Price: $45
Related Whiskey
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years Tasting Notes
EYE
Gold
NOSE
Honied malt, orchard fruit, vanilla frosting, caramel, spice, banana taffy and touches of oak and copper.
Basic but elegant, it has a wonderful, warm, fruity malt profile that brings you back for more.
PALATE
Honied malt, orchard fruit, banana taffy, vanilla frosting, caramel, spice, and touches of oak and copper.
Warm, fruity, and softly darkly sweet, this is a good easy whisky, an any-time drinker.
FINISH
Medium -> Fruit, honey, graham and malt fade out with light touch of cocoa.
BALANCE, BODY and FEEL
Good balance, medium body and a soft easy feel.
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years – Overall Thoughts and Score
This flagship offering from Glenmorangie shows just how good a baseline offering can be when you take your time to craft a quality product. It’s buttery, fruity, malty and has a depth of flavor that’s hard to beat at its age (and its price).
The Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years a great example of something fun, interesting and accessible. It’s a whisky that’s easy to get into and easy to share. It’s the whisky you take to dinner parties, after parties and any other occasion. It’s a “daily drinker” that’s never boring and always welcome in my glass.
SCORE: 3/5 (above average, worth checking out ~ B- | 80-82)
Glenmorangie The Original 10 Years Review $45
Overall
3.1- Nose (3)
- Palate (3.5)
- Finish (3)
- BBF (3)