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Glenmorangie Tests Traditions With New Innovations In Scotch Whisky

Do you tamper with traditions?

There are traditions and there are traditions that are meant to be bent and even broken. Both are important for when it comes to producing a stellar scotch whisky.

Glenmorangie, a prominent figure in Scottish heritage, when it comes to scotch whisky, is getting more experimental when it comes to traditions.

Only those who have been to the Glenmorangie production facility have seen the product of both strong traditions and educational experimentation.

We sat down with Dr. Bill Lumsden, master blender for Glenmorangie (pictured below) to discuss the different processes and aspects when it comes down to scotch whisky.

I learned all about the importance of ingredients from Dr. Lumsden, and the importance of experimentation.

Ingredients will get you the tradition, the respect, the profiles you know and love. Experimentation will get you new, exciting taste profiles, new whisky that will bring your flavours to the next level.

Glenmorangie is known for more of their traditional blends but has a whole facility where they experience and experiment constantly. One of the first brands in the space that have a full focus on experimentation to a large scale. You are starting to see it when it comes to their 10th-anniversary of their Private Edition collection, the Allta Private Edition 10.

The Allta is the first whisky from Glenmorangie to be made from the yeast that grows wild on their Cadboll barley. It’s a rich and fruity whisky with some complexity to it. It’s aged in bourbon barrels in many second-filled casks. In case you are wondering, Allta is Gaelic for ‘wild’ a direct homage to the ‘wild’ yeast.

Experimentation could come from different aspects from different types of barley to different types of casks.

With this particular scotch whisky, you get the sense that it plays with tradition, but it has interesting tasting notes to complement the new breed of scotch whiskys.

Allta Private Edition 10 (Right) part of a strong collection of scotch whisky from Glenmorangie.

Allta Private Edition 10 Tasting Notes:

  • Floral notes with a sense of vanilla and orange notes
  • It’s got a long follow-through and earthy tones,
  • Hints of bitter-sweet orange and peppermint

The Allta Private Edition 10 brings you a well-balanced, unique blended scotch whisky to bring to the table, surprising your scotch drinking friends with a new option from Glenmorangie.

The Bottom Line

It was a pleasure meeting Dr. Bill Lumsden, his experience, heritage and knowledge in scotch whisky is unmatched in Scotland. To have him in Toronto and to meet him was an absolute treat to get his perspective on the state of scotch whisky. As for what he has blended, the Allta is a unique, calculated twist on the traditions for scotch whisky, in which the complexities we encourage you to try. Even if you have to split a bottle with some friends during your whisky meet up.

Learn more about the Allta Private Edition 10 and Dr. Bill Lumsden on their website

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