|
12th March 2026 |
Review of the
recently released Glen Moray Forbidden
Fruit, a bright, fruit-forward and very easy to drink dram,
yet still carries enough gentle spice
and oak to keep things interesting—and,
importantly, a whisky that delivers
genuine quality at a price that still
feels fair.
 The
creative folks at Glen
Moray has unveiled a tempting new
addition to its range of single malts,
the Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit.
Drawing inspiration from the classic
tale of temptation and the irresistible
sweetness of the apple, the whisky has
been finished in French oak casks that
once matured Calvados — France's
renowned and characterful apple brandy.
Those of you who were fortunate enough to visit the Glen
Moray distillery in 2016 may remember an
exceptional distillery-exclusive Bottle
Your Own single cask: a Glen Moray 10
Year Old 2006 Cider Cask Finish. That
bottling was part of an early experiment
exploring the influence of cider casks
on the distillery’s Speyside spirit. The
trial later led to the release of the
Glen Moray Cider Cask Project in late
2018 as part of the Elgin Curiosity
Range.
However, these releases soon attracted
the attention of the Scotch whisky
authorities, who ruled that whisky
matured in cider casks could not legally
be labelled as Scotch whisky. As a
result, those lucky enough to have
secured a bottle of either release may
now find they own something of a rarity
— and perhaps a more valuable one than
when it was first purchased.
Undeterred, and encouraged by the
delicious character the cider casks had
produced, the inventive team at Glen
Moray looked for a way to recreate those
flavours without breaching Scotch whisky
regulations. Their solution was to
finish the whisky in French oak casks
that had previously matured Calvados,
the famous French apple brandy.
Conveniently, these casks were sourced
from within the Glen Moray parent company: La
Martiniquaise, which owns the renowned
Calvados house Busnel. Using ex-Busnel
Calvados casks allowed Glen Moray to
capture those appealing orchard-fruit
and apple-brandy influences while
remaining fully within Scotch whisky
production rules.
The new, rather aptly named, Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit release marks the third expression
in the distillery's imaginative Xperience Collection. With Forbidden
Fruit, Glen Moray continues its
exploration of distinctive cask
finishes, following earlier editions
Phoenix Rising and Twisted Vine, which
celebrated charred oak and cognac cask
maturation respectively.
Fascinated by Calvados' delicate fruit
character and warming spice, Glen
Moray’s distilling team took a single
malt initially matured for around 5
Years in bourbon
barrels and transferred it into Calvados
casks for around a further 2 Years. The aim was to see how the apple
brandy's influence would interact with
the whisky’s signature smooth Speyside
character.
The finished whisky reveals delicious
layers of apple and pear, buttery
patisserie and light floral notes,
adding a fresh and appealing dimension
to the Elgin distillery’s famously
approachable style.
The packaging reflects the theme of
temptation that inspired the whisky. A
vibrant red apple stands boldly against
Glen Moray’s signature deep blue
backdrop, surrounded by elegant golden
leaves, while a winding serpent threads
through the design, evoking the story
behind the "Forbidden Fruit".
Glen Moray Global Brand Ambassador Iain
Allan said: "Cask exploration has been a
huge part of the Glen Moray Distillery
story for over a century, and Forbidden
Fruit is a wonderful new testament to
this heritage. It is a sweet, spicy and
very morish single malt which we’re sure
will be a tempting treat for whisky fans
to explore, whether they are
connoisseurs or new to single malts."
I spoke with Iain Allan, who revealed
that some peated Glen Moray is currently
maturing in ex-Busnel Calvados casks.
Given the quality of the peated spirit
produced at Glen Moray, that sounds like
a particularly intriguing prospect.
While he couldn't say when we might see
a peated Glen Moray with a Calvados
finish reach the shelves, it’s certainly
one to keep an eye on. He did, however,
reveal that we can look forward to a
peated Chardonnay cask finish from Glen
Moray arriving in the near future.
Bottled at 40% ABV, and with a
recommended retail price of £32, the
Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit will be
available in Morrison's stores
throughout Scotland from April and
available now from specialist online whisky
shops such as
Master of Malt
|
Glen Moray Forbidden Fruit Review
|
Bottled at 40% ABV.
William
Morrison's
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Enticingly
sweet aromas which evoke the nostalgic
sweetness of a fairground - sweet toffee
apple interwoven with a delicate thread of fresh
pear, hints of sweet coconut and candy
floss. Underneath sit gentle notes of
warm pastries and soft caramel and just
a wee touch of oak spice.
Taste: Deliciously
light, fresh and sweet, opening with
lightly barley sugared candied apple
juice with
a wee bit of a pear edge. Creamy vanilla ice cream follows,
dusted with toasted pastry and more
barley sugar, while delicate baking
spices and a faint thread of oak tannin
add balance.
Finish: Refreshingly
long, smooth and satisfying. An initial
lift of spice softens into notes of
caramelised and poached apple and pear,
a hint of cloves and mellow oak, with
lingering hints of vanilla toffee slowly
fading on the tongue but it is the drying oak
tannins that outlasts the fruit to have
the last word.
Comment:
A very easy drinking and hugely
enjoyable dram. It's bright,
fruit-forward (apple and pear) and very
easy to drink, yet still carries enough
gentle spice and oak to keep things
interesting and all piggy backing on
some delicious sugars. Another excellent example
of the creativity coming out of Glen
Moray—and, importantly, a whisky that
delivers genuine quality, something off
the beaten track of wine and sherry
finishes, and at a price that
still feels fair. In a market where many
Scotch single malts are creeping ever
higher, releases like this are a welcome
reminder that interesting and great whisky doesn't have
to cost a fortune.
SMW Whisky Score
90/100
|
Where To Buy Whisky Online
|
|
Select a country for a list of
specialist Whisky shops who delivers to
you:
|
Whisky Focus
<<<Back to
Whisky Focus for more Whisky News
|
Top
Of Page |
|
|
Online Whisky Shops |
|
|
|
New Whiskies |
| Check out the latest
new whisky releases. |
 |
| Worldwide delivery
available.
More Info |
|
