Even before Bill Lumsden joined Glenmorangie in February 1995, the Highland brand had gained a reputation as a pioneer of wood finishing in the Scotch whisky world. Now, almost 30 years after the fateful collaboration between master distiller and distillery began, it has unveiled what might be its most impressive bottlings of wine barrel-finished single malts via its Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection.
Made up of a trio of whiskies finished in wine casks from three of the world’s premier wine regions—Burgundy and Bordeaux in France and Piedmont in Italy—the Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection showcases Lumsden’s personality at its ripest.
Lumsdem is a self-defined wine lover: “My passion for single malt whisky is perhaps only matched by my passion for fine wine,” he says. “My travels through the world’s finest vineyards have inspired many experiments with finishing whisky in wine casks.”
Bottled at 52.5 percent alcohol by volume (ABV), the 29-year-old Margaux Wine Cask Finish was distilled in February 1995, the month Lumsden joined Glenmorangie, and initially matured in Bourbon casks. In 2004, Lumsden transferred the whisky into red wine casks from Margaux, where it has spent the last two decades. The resulting release is rich, mellow, and complex, offering flavors of chocolate, plums, and sweet chili.
The 28-year-old Corton-Charlemagne Wine Cask Finish is the only bottle in the trio to have been finished in white wine casks. Similar to the Margaux release, the whisky was stilled in 1995, and then in 2005 it was re-casked in Grand Cru Burgundy casks. Bottled at 52.1 percent ABV, it’s a spicy, smooth, and full-bodied expression that offers notes of jasmine, soft smoke, and clove.
The Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish is the youngest of the bunch, having been distilled in 1996. It aged in bourbon barrels until 2005, when it was transferred into Italian red wine casks from Piedmont. Bottled at 51.3 percent ABV, the dry, powerful, and rich whisky offers notes of leather, spices, and eucalyptus.
Just 600 cases of the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection have been created and arrive in a handmade oak presentation case. The back of the case was designed to remind purchasers of the staves from which wine casks are made, while the front reflects the various landscapes of the three wine regions.
Right now, the collection is only available through inquiry if you’re a Moët Hennessy private client for $9,000. In October, it will be on shelves at Glenmorangie’s Boutique at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2, as well as in select retail outlets worldwide and the distillery visitor center in Tain, Scotland.
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