Whisky Focus - Glenmorangie Finealta Private Edition

You may already recognise the Glenmorangie Finealta as it is not a new release, it was released in August 2010 exclusively in travel retail or duty free as we used to know it. It has now (Jan 2011) gone on general release so I thought I would give it a mention here.

The Glenmorangie Finealta is the second release in Glenmorangie's Private Edition range. You may recall the first release in the range, the excellent and very popular Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX.

Finealta, pronounced 'Finalta', is Scottish Gaelic for 'elegant'. Apparently it is is a recreation of Glenmorangie based on a recipe dating back to 1903 which was uncovered in the Distillery’s archives.

Glenmorangie decided to recreate the recipe which they followed meticulously, which included marrying whiskies of different ages and from American Oak and Oloroso Sherry Oak casks. But what make the Finealta different is they have gone and peated it. It is not a super peated whisky, they have used very lightly peated barley but not something you will find in other Glenmorangie's these days. The light touch of peatiness originates from an era when the Glenmorangie Distillery used to dry its malted barley in a peat-fired kiln.

The result is a different whisky than you would normally expect from Glenmorangie. It is a whisky with the usual distinctive vanilla and citrus notes that one expects from a Glenmorangie, with sweet vanilla, mandarin oranges and lime notes, but with a hint of cherry and an interesting very light whiff of peat smoke all with a sprinkling of dried spice.

Bottled at a strength of 46% ABV, non chill-filtered to impart a full body and texture.

Glenmorangie Finealta it is now available to buy at specialist whisky shop The Whisky Exchange for £61.49
 

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