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Glenmorangie Artein 15 Year Old

Average score from 7 reviews and 7 ratings 91

Glenmorangie Artein 15 Year Old

Product details

  • Brand: Glenmorangie
  • Bottler: Distillery Bottling
  • ABV: 46.0%
  • Age: 15 year old

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@Victor
Glenmorangie Artein 15 Year Old

Back in the 1960s, when my 70 year old wild-ass sister was in her 20s, and there was no such thing as a bottle of Scottish Single Malt Whisky for sale anywhere (The HORROR, the HORROR! What did Scotch malt snobs DO in those Dark Ages?), because they didn't sell any single malt Scotch per se in those days, Mary Anne would nurse a drink of blended Scotch at a party for hours. She knew she was safe with a glass of Scotch because she knewe that she would not be tempted to drink it and get herself into trouble. Until a couple of years ago, she used to love to annoy malt lovers by saying, proudly, "I hate Scotch". The Scotch she hated turned out to be the mass-market blended kind she remembered from her early adulthood. Twenty or so months ago, when I gave her a generous dram from this to be reviewed bottle of Glenmorangie Artein, she asked for a second glass, and then a third glass,...and then she promptly drove up the road to a nearby liquor store and bought herself 6 bottles of Glenmorangie Artein...some to be later given as gifts. She said at the time, and I agreed with her, "This drinks like wine."

To refresh the memory about the annual Glenmmorangie Private Edition "begats"...first begat was Sonnalta PX, second was Finealta, third was Artein, fourth is Ealanta...one per year...there will likely be a fifth one soon. The reviewed bottle has been open a little less than 2 years and is 20% full. Tuscan Wine casks were used for the finish.

Nose: pleasant nicely sweet/dry balanced red wine; medium and high pitched barley malt flavours, slight contribution of flavours from the oak...a little vanilla. There is also a bit of fruit of the apple and pear variety, as in Glenmorangie base malt. Citrus is also quite noticeable when you look closely

Taste: the nose flavours translate rather emphatically to the mouth, with a very strong tart citrus kick accompanying strong red wine flavours. The flavours are mostly quite sharp and pointed. This is delicious and easy-drinking...

Finish: ...moving to a rather sour and dry type of finish. Mouth puckering, and something which is likely to appeal to any whisky lover who likes a lot of citrus together with a wine finish

Balance: any whisky which is "easy-drinking" has a sort of balance. I would describe the balance here as good, but it definitely progresses from delivery to finish in a dry-sour manner. Very enjoyable whisky

Thank you, @teebone673. Red wine finished malts take in a huge amount of territory, and represent a large percentage of the products out there. A few that I especially like include Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX (also very hard to find now), Bruichladdich Octomore Orpheus 2.2 (scarce and expensive), Balvenie 21 yo Portwood (expensive), Balvenie 1993 Portwood (sweeter than the 21 yo), a good batch of Arran Amarone Finish (some batches are not good), Ardbeg Uigeadail (maybe not "finished" per se, but blended cask styles), Lagavulin DEs, and quite a few Benriachs, Macallans, and others. Actually I like the very light sherry touches on a number of the more delicate malts, like Aberlour 10, and almost any Glengoyne. If you will try a white wine finish, I highly recommend the Isle of Arran Sauternes Finish.

The High Test Stuff? Sherry-cask matured only? Sure, I like almost all of that Big Flavours Stuff, cask strength preferred, if available...Aberlour A'bunadh, Macallan Cask Strength, Macallan 18 Sherry Cask...etc etc

Nice review,Victor. This is one i have been wanting to try for a long time. Problem is, it is nowhere to be found in my neck of the woods. I even had two liquor shops try and order me a bottle only to have them both call me a week later and tell me it was out of stock and they could not get it. Looks like I missed out on a good one. This stuff sounds delicious. Any other recommendations for red wine finishes? Thank for the review, Victor!

@vanPelt

First vapor: Fermenting berry.

Nose: Raspberry with buttery dough dumplings. This main theme is supported by custard, some fresh red apple slice, and a faint breeze of garden mint.

Palate: Flashes of juices-- from apple or nectarine... to strawberry... and a build-up of raspberry, as gingery heat escalates tingly like lime zest. Then the dumplings return, buttery and with a spread of raspberry jam.

Finish: Lingering dough and a little jam; alternating between zesty and custardy.

I have not experienced this flavor set in a malt before. The Artein is a refreshing malt, at once buttery smooth and crystal clear with raspberry. These splendid notes may lack some other complexities, but I appreciate the berried lightness, which particularly suits the summer right now-- The raspberry dumpling theme is right in season. The Artein has just become my favorite among malts that are relatively light and summery.

Thanks all; Of course, now you make me want to pour a dram, too.... It's indeed the right time.

@teebone673: It is a Private Edition, but I was still able to find it locally. (Other Private Edition options were Finealta, Astar, and Ealanta. Which to choose...?)

Thanks vanPelt. As far as the other private editions, definately try the Astar is you haven't already. It's the most bourbony single malt I've ever tasted. Very good. I need to get a new bottle soon.

@markjedi1

The Private Collection from Glenmorangie consists of the Sonnalta Px (hard to find these days), the Finealta and the Artein. This month, the fourth has arrived: the Ealanta (which is Gaelic for elegant). But I still have to publish my notes for the Artein, so let us put the record straight. It is composed of two thirds of a 15 year old Glenmo and one third of 21 year old, matured on bourbon casks, before getting a finish on Super Tuscan wine casks. Artein means stone.

The nose immediately reveals the red wine. Blueberries, sultanas, peach and orange peel, surrounded by chocolate and coconut. Fresh mint and even cappuccino. Some orange liqueur like Contreau. Hints of spent matches (no, this is not a eufimism for sulphur).

It is honeysweet and syrupy on the palate, with the oranges rearing their heads first. Like I said: Contreau. Slightly bitter, but very much alive. Then it turns a bit tropical with apricots and peach. Very zesty. Mint returns. So does chocolate. Very peppery by the way.

The finish is medium long, very sweet on oranges and remains spicy with liquorice on the deathbed.

Wine finishes are usually hit and miss, but I find this one successful. Depending on where you shop, you will have to fork over between 70 and 100 EUR for a bottle.

I am quite a fan of this one. It excels in the nose. What comes to mind immediately on opening is a field of strawberries. Under-ripe strawberries. Even some slight lambic notes, if you have ever tried a Cantillon Rose Gambrinus lambic, or, even more on point, an Oudbeitje Strawberry lambic from Hannsens.

Looking forward to the Ealanta so long as it is in the same price point.

I hear the Eleanta will be around 95 EUR in Belgium.

s

Why aren't more whiskies aged in dry red wine casks? I'll admit that I wasn't thrilled with this whiskey when I first opened it but now as I finish the last dram from my bottle that has been open a little less than a year. Glenmorangie Artein is a vatting of different scotches from the distillery. They are at least 15 years of age, and some of it began its life in bourbon barrels and some of it was then finished in ex-super Tuscan wine casks. I haven't been able to find this information since then, but I remember reading that the casks in question were from Sassicaia. Whether it's from Sassicaia or not though is beside the point, as this whisky is unique, complex, absolutely delectable, and it's a big shame that we'll never see it again (unless of course there's money to be made).

The only thing that prevents this whisky from garnering a higher score from me is the nose. Although you should expect this from any spirit, there is a lot of alcohol in the nose. There's a lot more than I'd expect to get from this whisky. It's as dangerous to stick your nose in a glass of this as it is a glass of cask strength Islay. Now that we have the bad news out of the way, there's nothing but praise from here on out. It's an incredible easy whisky to drink. It's the kind of whisky I'd expect a non-Scotch drinker to say "That is smoooth" to, and ask for seconds. It goes beyond this though. It pours with a reddish-brown hue, and it's not an in -your-face Scotch but it's really complex. It begins with flavors of tea leaves and blackberry brandy. This fades, but the whisky comes back, brandishing fistfuls of oak fire and pencil shavings. I even detect a little bit of salt, a presence of which I've never been able to detect in other Glenmorangie bottles, even though it is a coastaly-located distillery. (I don't believe that coastaly is a word, but I feel it works here.)

I feel the red wine influence too. There is a cherried taste to the whisky. The bourbon influence is not gone though! Later the rich, raisiny, sour mash taste comes in. And as for the finish. Well, I can remember when I bought this I read the tasting notes on the box and it mentioned mint in the finish. 'Yeah right,' I thought. No, really! Mint! And lots of it too. It's fresh and it lingers, creating a crisply complex, long-lasting finish with fresh, clean mint and bourbon running round each other, in competition to see who can last the longest.

I once owned a bottle of Laphroaig bottled by Murray McDavid that was finished in Ch Lafite casks. I was a little disappointed by it to begin with, but after a few months it grew on me and it came to be probably my favorite Laphroaig I've ever had. I had similar feelings about Glenmorangie Artein to begin with as well. I bought it because it was limited edition and I wasn't totally in love with it at the first sip, but now I think of it being the best Glenmorangie I've had (even better than Signet, but maybe I need to spend more time with the Signet, which I just bought). This is hard to find now; I find even harder to find than the previous private edition release, Finnealta. If you see this bottle, snatch it up. I have no problem recommending it to anyone. Islayman, Speyside-lover, bourbonhead. It'll be up anybody's alley. I grew to be enamored with it, and it's a shame the ride is over. I look forward to trying new Scotches aged in the casks which once were home to dry reds. The two I've had so far have been dynamite. Get this one while you can! That is, if you can.

Drinkable? Dangerously so. As my sister, who likes to tell malt drinkers that "I hate Scotch" also likes to say, "This (Glenmorangie Artein) drinks like wine." I love to tell the story how my "I hate Scotch" sister tried one dram of Artein at my home, then a second, then a third,...and then promptly drove up the street to a nearby liquor store and bought six bottles of it for herself. Yes, she hates Scotch!

J

Made up of 2 part's 15yo whisky, 1 part 21yo whisky and finished in Super Tuscan wine barrels.

Nose: Red berry Jam (raspberry's and strawberry's), cooked apples, vinilla custard, creamy honey, marshmallows.

Palate: Big on red Berry jam, quite creamy, notes of vinilla sponge cake, some honey, pastry crumble.

Finish: Creamy vinilla custard, some stewed fruits, slightly peppery.

A Nice edition to the Glenmo range a really nice wine finish whisky.

Nice review, which helped me with my own recent purchase-- Thanks! I hope to post my own review soon, but I find this one is pretty accurate.

@apachearrow

I've had a few drams off this bottle now... So it's time to record its greatness.

Note: no need for water, easy to drown this one.

I'm afraid they've used E150, if they had not, I'd give it a 95... Nonetheless, a spectacular expression from one of my favorite distilleries.

I've recently acquired some 20+ bottles (at US $64/.75L)of the Artein, before I read any of the reviews. The reviews have been mixed. I've tasted it, just a brief sample, and I remember thinking, "It's not Finealta." I need to really sit down, taste this Scotch, over several tastings, and write a review. One of the nice things about the Glenmorangie Scotches is that you should find something that you really like.

Your review has given me incentive to taste this properly. Thank you.

I am glad to hear my review inspired you! You're right its quite different from Finealta. I have not yet tried a Glenmorangie I dislike and each offering is unique, esp. these "special releases". I will keep an eye out for your review and compare my notes.

Slainte,

@Vinodiuz

Yes,...finally!! Today I get my own new piece of Art of the legendary Glenmorangie, the Artein. 15 Years old and rested in great Super Tuscan wine casks from Italy. This is the most delightful, most pleasant, most fantastic whisky what I ever tasted! Clean, red-fruits, sweet, fresh...just wonderful.

Here is my review of this legendary dram:

Nose: sweet, honey, red-fruita (most like strawberries, raspberry,...)still that Glenmorangie vanilla-citrus fragrances.

Taste: This is really different than the nose. Full bodied, fresh, delight, very fruity like fresh forest red fruits as cassis, strawberries, blue-berries and some cherries. a Maqnifecent woody aftertaste with hints of mint.

Finish: So wonderful! Long, at the beginning the sweetness of the honey and than the woody and menthol part will be long and fade slowly away with fresh peppermint elements.

With the fantastic Alligator of the great Ardbeg I scored this most beautifull whisky of Glenmorangie also a 100/100! It is a Private Edition, so there will be limited editions. Be quick to own a bottle. I can tell you this one of the fantastic Glenmorangie will be sold out in a very short of time!!!

HIGLY RECOMMENDED!!

I think I was to overwelmed about this great dram as the Alligator of Ardbeg to give them a 100/100. I know that I must try the good old ones what you mentioned, as the 1970's Ardbeg, 1960's Bowmore and other fantastic drams who don't have to be old. I will keep that in mind for the next time for score a whisky. As Jean-Luc and you said 100/100 is a very highly score. But still, for me the Artein-Glenmorangie and Alligator-Ardbeg are for me the best what I ever tasted yet, truelly perfection, those 2! But for everybody different ufcourse. Everybody get's theirs own taste. That's why I give the Artein and the Alligator the 100/100.

Goodmorning Sir Jean-Luc,

You are right, I'm totally agree with you. a Whisky is not 100% perfect. But I can tell you, these 2 what I gave 100/100 (Alligator-Ardbeg and the Artein-Glenmorangie) are really for me just 'perfect'. Everything is there for me in those 2 great drams. So that's why the points 100/100.

Slainthe!

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