Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban

While I enjoy my scotch just as much as other whisk(e)y, I've never actually written a review of it before- perhaps because I was just less experienced with it. In any case, this was a great place to start. Glenmorangie's line features quite a few interesting extra-matured whiskies, something I find agreeable- though extra maturation can cause a lot of problems if it's done poorly, there's a lot it can add if done well, and it's definitely done well here. This whisky is aged 10 years in American white oak casks, then transferred to Portuguese ruby port pipes. The port influence is definitely noticeable, and if that kind of flavor isn't your thing, you probably won't enjoy this whisky overly much- but at least in my experience it blends quite well with the flavor of the whisky, producing a quite unique and complex spirit.

Appearance: pale gold but with a distinctive and interesting red-pink highlight. When the glass is tilted, the whisky coats the side like oil.

Nose: A mix of sweet and bitter, complex and interesting. Juicy sweet orange, mint, peach, cocoa, walnut, mild herbal notes, honey, and dried red fruit. Time in the glass or a drop of water reveals deeper, fruitier flavors, as well as more spicy wood notes.

Palate: Mouthfeel is fairly oily and substantial, which I like. Flavorful but intricately so, with a lot of nuances of flavor rather than huge individual ones. Malt, particuarly as barley sugar, is strongly present, and the port is also more present here, with rich, juicy flavors of red fruit (redcurrants, raspberries, blackberries). This is balanced out by black tea, nectarine, dark honey, anise, cocoa, mint, and a hint of spice- allspice and oak- that mingles well with the alcohol.

Finish: Medium-length and echoing more of the bitter notes of the sweeter palate, with bitter orange, black tea, raisins, redcurrants, a bit of honey, and a tang of oak.

Overall Impressions: A very interesting drink indeed, with lots of different flavors mixed together. No one flavor ever really dominates, and the constant undertone of strong barley/malt flavor holds everything together quite nicely. Again, the port flavors are definitely not subtle, but they don't unbalance whisky and in my opinion add quite a bit of interesting depth. A bit more range and intensity of flavor would be a plus, but all in all the whiskey is very good. I also like that this whisky is bottled at 46% and not chill filtered.

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