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Glenmorangie The Duthac

Who Is This Duthac Guy, Anyway?

2 482

@talexanderReview by @talexander

5th Dec 2016

1

Glenmorangie The Duthac
  • Nose
    21
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    19
  • Balance
    20
  • Overall
    82

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

The Duthac is the inaugural release of Glenmorangie's Legends range, which along with their Tarlogan and Tayne, is exclusive to travel retail.

Apparently St. Duthac was born around 1000, and the "legends of his workings drew travellers from far and wide". Hey Dr. Bill, who writes this stuff? "Workings"??? What is a working? Anyway, after he died he was named the patron saint of Tain (where the distillery is) and people made pilgrimages to his resting place, including King James IV, who visited annually.

What has this got to do with the whisky? Nothing. But the majority of this NAS whisky is ex-bourbon cask, with some casks matured in Pedro Ximenez and some matured in virgin oak blended in.

The colour is a coppery gold. On the nose we have raisins, balsamic vinegar, pear, red apple skins and toffee. Cloves and vanilla pods. Milk chocolate. Christmas cake. Creme caramel. Quite tannic and fruity. Lots of sweetness and sherry, with some spice and a little smoke. Water flattens out the nose. Quite nice but the sherry is a wee bit overdone.

On the palate there is loads of spice, with marzipan, deep sherry, espresso bean and this time, dark chocolate. Woody and jammy (strawberry, blackberry). Some papaya, nutmeg and a hint of ginger in the background. Water increases the spice and oak. Quite complex.

The finish is a bit rough with juicy grape, pepper, wood smoke and plums. When I first opened this bottle on Thanksgiving in October, I didn't like it very much, but perhaps a few months of air has improved it - I'm getting much more complexity out of it than I did at the time. Or maybe it was just too much turkey...in any case, if you like a good sherried, spicy malt, you have found it.

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4 comments

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

I sense a certain ambivalence here @talexander, although it sounds a bit better than much of the current Travel Retail NAS rubbish, and at least it's 43%. Thanks for the review/heads-up.

Cheers.

8 years ago 0

@Ol_Jas
Ol_Jas commented

I love when a biting Connosr review takes the piss out of some marketing malarkey. Workings indeed!

I like seeing reviews of this NAS stuff. They remind me what these weird "story" malts actually are, which get dragged anonymously through the mud so often in NAS discussions.

8 years ago 0

@Alexsweden
Alexsweden commented

Thanks for the review. Sounds like it's a half-decent whisky in spite of the marketing BS

8 years ago 0

@talexander
talexander commented

"Ambivalence" and "half-decent" are the right words here....definitely a "try-before-you-buy", as it does have its fans, and was awarded Best Single Malt Scotch - Highlands - No Age Statement in the 2016 World Whiskies Awards.

7 years ago 0