25 May, 2022

Glen Moray Heritage Collection – 12 & 18 Year Old Single Malts

Further to a number of requests from readers, Philip Day looks at single malts and starts with the Glen Moray Heritage Collection, including the brand’s 12 year old and 18 year old single malts. He also includes his personal tasting notes and background information on Glen Moray.

I am going to answer a question I often get asked from people wanting to start their journey of discovery of single malts: What recommendation can I give them as a good starting point?

A simple answer: Glen Moray Heritage 12 Year Old is the tried and tested effective introduction to Speyside style single malts.

Described by the distillers as:

“A whisky with a long heritage, beautifully balancing vanilla and berried notes, this quintessential Speysider reflects all our expertise. It is distilled on the banks of the River Lossie where we have been making Glen Moray since 1897. This single malt is entirely aged in carefully selected American oak casks to bring out its traditional Speyside character.”

Let’s look at the expression in detail:

Glen Moray Heritage Collection 12 Year Old Single Malt

Tasting Notes (Supplied by Glen Moray):

Colour: Polished gold (natural colour)

Nose: Rich, sweet and floral with notes of vanilla toffee and berry fruits.

Taste: Toasted oak. Intense dark fruits and creamy toasted vanilla.

Finish: Smooth and satisfying. A lovely balance of sweet vanilla and spiced oak delivers a smooth and well-balanced finish.

Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Glen Moray through Burt Greener Communications)

Nose: Engagingly sweet notes of toffee and vanilla with pleasantly appealing fruity aromas in the background.

Taste: A stylish, creamy mouth feel. After an initial wave of cherry jam on a freshly toasted and buttered muffin, you are left with a subtly spiced oak undertone.

Finish: A lengthy smooth, satisfyingly well-balanced finish, with enduring notes of creamy sweet vanilla and enticing wood spices.

Allowing the whisky to fully mature in the ex-Bourbon oak casks has given the spirit time to interact, instilling it with a unique character.

In short, the maturation period has created a well-rounded layered classic dram. The creaminess and the spiced fruity notes make it very accessible, at a reasonable price point.

ABV: 40% / 70 cl

RRP: £37

Glen Moray Heritage Collection - 12 year old & 18 year old single malts

Moving on from there, a good choice for an accessible single malt that packs a bit more punch would be Glen Moray Heritage 18 Year Old Single Malt.

Often considered the DNA of Glen Moray, thanks to its robust ageing in first fill Bourbon barrels, it allows the effect of the oak to shine through the liquid more, endowing it with an oily texture.

Let’s look at the expression in detail:

Glen Moray Heritage Collection 18 Year Old Single Malt

Described by the distillers as: ”

Overflowing with spice, oaky intensity and caramelised fruit, this single malt whisky is the pride and joy of our Heritage Collection. Aged entirely in American oak casks over 18 long years for a rare intensity, it is the ultimate reflection of our traditional Speyside craft. By using first-fill casks that have not been used for single malt previously, we enhance our spirit with the wood’s maximum flavours of vanilla, oak and toffee.”

Its higher ABV at 47.2% allows for it to be non-chill filtered

Tasting Notes (Supplied by Glen Moray):

Colour: Antique gold (natural colour)

Nose: Toasted oak with deep notes of treacle toffee and caramelised autumn fruits.

Taste: Baked spiced apple and vanilla, smoked raisins. Rich, smooth and utterly satisfying.

Finish: The sweetness and spice fade naturally, leaving a light cloud of smoke and toasted oak. A finish which is elegant and wonderfully long.

Personal tasting notes (Official sample kindly provided by Glen Moray through Burt Greener Communications)

Nose: Engaging notes of toasted oak and treacle toffee. Fruity citrus and autumnal fruit aromas infused in quality retsina provide secondary notes.

Taste: There’s an initial wave of smooth, sweet, creamy vanilla toffee and spiced baked apples mixed with umami undertones. The oily texture and toasted influence of the Bourbon oak barrels is noticeable but does not overpower the whisky spirit. (Some drinkers find that the addition of a drop of water helps it open into a well-rounded multi-layered dram.)

Finish: The grand finale of this whisky is that as the sweetness and the waves of warming peppery spices subside, a long and lingering warm afterglow of smoky, toasted oak develops.

Here, the long maturation period of the whisky spirit in the Bourbon casks has given the spirit time to interact, instilling it with greater depth and character, creating a tasty, classic dram that provides a bit of a punch at a reasonable price.

ABV: 47.2% non-chill-filtered/ 70 cl

RRP: £74

Glen Moray is one of Scotland’s best loved single malt whiskies. Located on what was once the Elgin West Brewery site on the banks of the River Lossie. in the heart of Speyside, Scotland’s whisky capital, the Glen Moray distillery has been producing fine single malt since 1897.

Pure waters from the river, locally malted barley, distillation in traditional copper stills and maturation in American ex-bourbon casks combine to give the whisky its smooth, well-balanced, classic Speyside character.

Glen Moray has always been a place where curiosity about flavour and cask maturation has been encouraged. Records dating back to its early days show new make spirit maturing in a wide variety of different casks – considered a highly unusual practice at that time. A passion for experimentation and a deep knowledge of wood have been passed down through generations of Glen Moray distillers.

The result is today’s exceptional and extensive range of whiskies, offering a flavour and style to suit all tastes. Glen Moray is the 5th biggest malt whisky brand by volume in the UK and is growing in international markets.

For most of its working history since 1924 it was owned by Macdonald & Muir (which changed its name to the Glenmorangie Company Ltd. in 1996). In 2004, the French luxury goods group Louis Vuitton Moet Hennessy (LVMH) bought Glenmorangie. In 2008, LVMH sold off the Glen Moray distillery to La Martiniquaise. It is currently managed by its Bardinet spirits group subsidiary.

Founded by Jean Cayard in 1934, La Martiniquaise is an independent French spirits group with a large portfolio of international brands. Headquartered near Paris, the group operates in over 100 countries with 38 subsidiaries and production sites. The Group’s four pillars are Scotch whiskies, ports, brandies, wines, rums and craft spirits from France.

For additional information see: www.la-martiniquaise.com

Over the years, the Glen Moray Distillery has built an exceptional portfolio of Speyside Single Malts. It currently offers a wide variety of select malts under the following portfolios: