Europe’s Revered Wine Regions Come to Life in Glenmorangie’s Luxurious New Collection
Limited to 600 sets, trio of whiskies is a tribute to Master Distiller’s passion for wine.
Glenmorangie Highland single malt Scotch whisky celebrates its Master Distiller’s passion for fine wine with an exceptionally rare trio of aged whiskies: Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection. As a wine lover and a pioneering figure in the art of wood-finishing whisky, Dr Bill Lumsden has long been inspired by the myriad flavours that wine casks offer Glenmorangie. This collection charts his travels through some of Europe’s most acclaimed wine regions in search of casks that would bring unparalleled deliciousness to his whisky. Showcasing three of Dr Bill’s most prized experiments, each over 25 years old, these 600 sets are an ode to his passion and decades of perfecting the art of wine cask finishing.
For more than 180 years, Glenmorangie’s whisky creators have been endlessly imaginative in their quest to create evermore delicious single malts. They create a delicate and fruity spirit in stills as tall as a giraffe to allow for more taste and aroma. Then they age it in the world’s finest casks. In the late 1980s and throughout the 1990s, Glenmorangie were among the pioneers of wood finishing in the Scotch whisky industry as the distillery experimented with adding new layers of flavours to their signature spirit. This technique involves transferring aged whisky into different casks for even more complexity. Under Dr Bill’s leadership, his team have become experts in this art.
Many years ago, Dr Bill travelled through Europe’s finest wine regions, sourcing precious casks from revered areas in Burgundy and Bordeaux in France and Piedmont in Italy. Then he filled them with whisky, imagining the flavours exceptionally long wood finishes could create. In the Pursuit of Passion’s 600 sets, he shares three of his most delicious experiments: Glenmorangie Margaux Wine Cask Finish, Glenmorangie Corton-Charlemagne Wine Cask Finish and Glenmorangie Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish. Aged 29, 28 and 27 years respectively, these rare creations are united by their extraordinary complexity.
The Margaux Wine Cask Finish: Rich, mellow and complex, this 29-year-old whisky was distilled in February 1995, the month Dr Bill joined the Glenmorangie as then Distillery Manager, and was initially aged in bourbon casks. In 2004, Dr Bill transferred the whisky into a handful of red wine casks from Margaux - one of the most renowned appellations in Bordeaux, France. Finished in the wine casks for over 20 years – longer than any other Glenmorangie – his creation reveals intense flavours of chocolate, plums and sweet chilli.
The Corton-Charlemagne Wine Cask Finish: The only whisky in the trio finished in white wine casks, this spicy, smooth and full-bodied 28-year-old whisky was also distilled in 1995. It was first laid down in bourbon casks, then was transferred into white Burgundy casks in 2005 – all grand cru status – from the prestigious Corton-Charlemagne appellation in Burgundy, France. This was Glenmorangie’s first experiment with such casks and Dr Bill was intrigued to see how they would shape its soft, signature style. Finished for over 18 years in these casks, this expression brims with notes of jasmine, soft smoke and clove.
The Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish: This dry, powerful and rich 27-year-old whisky was distilled in 1996 and laid down in bourbon casks. In 2005, Dr Bill poured a select parcel into prestigious Italian red wine casks, sourced from Barbaresco, in the renowned wine region of Piedmont. These casks had never previously been used at the Distillery – and he imagined the deep, luscious flavours they might bring to Glenmorangie. After an exceptionally long finish of more than 18 years, his experiment resounds with hints of leather, rich spices and eucalyptus.
Glenmorangie’s Pursuit of Passion collection is encased in a handmade oak presentation case, designed as an elegant feature piece. Marquetry design work on the back and sides of the box hints at the staves from which wine casks are made, while the front of the case evokes the different landscapes of the three individual wine regions, reflecting the wondrous flavour journey captured in each bottle.
Dr Bill Lumsden said:
My passion for single malt whisky is perhaps only matched by my passion for fine wine. And my travels through the world’s finest vineyards have inspired many experiments with finishing whisky in wine casks. Of all my experiments, the whiskies in our Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection are among my most prized and delicious. With exceptionally long finishes in precious casks from some of France and Italy’s most renowned wine regions, I’m sure that their complexity will delight and intrigue lovers of both whisky and wine.
The Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection will be available through the Moët Hennessy Private Client channel from Autumn 2024. It will also be available to purchase at Glenmorangie’s Boutique at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2, as well as in select retail outlets worldwide and the Distillery Visitor Centre in Tain from October 2024. Registrations of interest can also be made online at www.glenmorangie.com/pages/pursuit-of-passion-wine-cask-collection
