Thursday, 4 February 2010

The Original and Emmylou

Its easier to get to the Clubhouse now the snow has cleared but I miss the crunch under foot. I had planned to try that bottle of Glenfiddich 18 year old but after supper I wasn't in the mood. I was feeling a little blue, got some bad news from my brother, needed to cheer myself up.

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Dram: Glenmorangie 10 (The Original as they call it now)
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Soundtrack: Pancho and Lefty - Emmylou Harris version - something about Emmylou's pure voice just seems to go with the Glenmo, and anyway if you're feeling sad...
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Glenmorangie was one of the first single malts I ever tried and I'm a little ashamed to say I didn't appreciate it back then, couldn't understand the fuss.

On the nose it smells of marzipan, a nutty, gentle sweetness. A hint of oak comes in and something than reminds me of marmalade or grapefruit, sweet but beautifully balanced with a slight acidic tartness. Soft honey notes waft around the edges but don't dominate.

On the palate the impression of the marzipan notes picked up on the nose is reinforced by the rich lightly oily texture, and like a good quality marzipan the nutty sweetness never approaches anything you'd call sickly or overtly sweet. A light oakiness supports the nutty flavours cradled in gentle malty tones. And there's just the right amount of acidity to balance the richness. This is an elegant and understated whisky, the flavours develop, arriving gently without a fanfare.

A long satisfying finish with the almond notes dying last.

"And All the federales say, They could have had him any day, They only let him slip away, Out of kindness I suppose." A bit like Pancho you can't quite tie the Original down, happy to have it within your grasp but ultimately content to let it go, until the next time.

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