Glenmorangie Original 10 Years Review

Country: Scotland

Brand: Glenmorangie The Original

Type: Single Malt Whisky

Region: Highland

Age: 10 Years

Alcohol: 40%

Date: 25/11/2011, 24/05/2012 and 10/01/2015

Colour: Golden Straw

Nose: Sweet but not too Sweet. I find Butterscotch, Toffee, Oak, Nuts, Orange Zest, Mandarin, Sweet Malt, Honey, Peach, Mint and Floral Tones. The alcohol is present so the whisky needs to open up for 20 minutes or so before nosing.

Taste: Sweet and Creamy with Barley Sugar, Oak, Orange, Mandarin, Peach, Toffee, Nuts, Vanilla, Nutmeg, Pepper, Ginger and light Licorice

Finish: Quite Long with Sugared Oranges, Mandarin, Lemon, Clean Oak, Malt, Nutmeg and Ginger. Quite nice for a 10 Year Old. 

Rating: 85.5 

Nose 21,5 – Taste 21.5 - Finish 21 - Overall 21.5

General Remarks: The necks of the stills of Glenmorangie are the tallest in Scotland and are replicas of the first gin stills that were installed at its opening around 1845. These stills produce a fresh and clean spirit. I added half a teaspoon of water but won’t do that again. The nose is gone and the whisky gets the taste of a cheap blend. I also believe that this Single Malt would greatly benefit from a bottling at 43 or maybe even 46% alcohol but that would ofcourse increase the price. At the moment, the Glenmorangie 10 sells at 45 US Dollars (Early 2015)

Drinking Experience Neat: Good

Drinking Experience on the Rocks: Good

Conclusion: The Original has a pleasant while not spectacular nose and is easy going on the palate. The finish is quite okay for such a young spirit. I have a slight preference for the comparable The Balvenie Double Wood but both are certainly acceptable choices for your everyday bedtime dram. And they are affordable!

Update: In subsequent tastings after November 2011 I have noticed that the young alcohol gradually disappears on the nose once the bottle has been opened for a while. Therefore I have added 0,5 points to the nose.

Update May 2012

Very minor changes really. I got a bit of Nuts and more Oak on the Nose that I hadn't noticed in earlier tastings. Good and affordable To Go To Dram.

Update January 2015

I slightly rearranged the notes and added some details. But the score stands and also the conclusion that this is a good everyday dram at a reasonable price.

Jan van den Ende                                                               January 10, 2015