Discover luxury with A Tale of The Forest
Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest is Glenmorangie’s first whisky ever crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals. It is lush and deliciously herbaceous & inspired by the natural, everchanging wonder. This experimental limited edition evokes the scents, sounds and sights of the forest itself. Its delightful flavours of pine, juniper and wood smoke have led illustrator Pomme Chan to dream up her own fantastical forest, showcased on the whisky’s pack.
Some years ago, dreaming of a whisky which captured the wonder of a walk in the forest, Dr Bill Lumsden, recalled how ancient Highland whisky makers dried their barley with all kinds of forest fuel. He began experimenting by kilning his barley with many different botanicals, finally selecting juniper berries, birch bark and heather flowers, married with a little peat. The result was a batch of spirit with rare aromas of pine needles and juniper, laced with wisps of smoke. He then aged it in bourbon casks including many refill casks, chosen to allow the spirit’s flavours to shine. Dr Bill said: “Every time I go into the woods where I live, I notice something new, be it the fragrance of last night’s rainfall or the sound of leaves rustling a particular way. I began to imagine how we could bring the forest to life in a whisky, by kilning barley with materials from woodland, the way our ancestors did. After many experiments, we decided on juniper, birch bark and heather, which would traditionally have been used in the kilning process, to create a Glenmorangie as lush and leafy as the forest itself. With aromas of pine needles, woodland moss, juniper’s sharpness, and tastes of eucalyptus, mint, bitter orange and distant smoke, A Tale of the Forest is a whisky to surround, delight and surprise you, whether you enjoy it deep in a forest or in cocktails at home.”
Pairing up with Glenmorangie to bring the whisky’s flavours to life on its pack, Thai illustrator Pomme Chan walked deep into her favourite forest in northern Thailand and began to draw, taking inspiration from her surroundings and her conversations with Dr Bill about Scotland. Soon she created her own fantastical forest, which inspires the packaging’s design. A feast of sumptuous technicolour, her illustration echoes the flavours and botanicals of the whisky – with blossoming heather, fragrant juniper and oranges and pine cones dancing on the breeze.
It’s a delicious Whisky, growing on the lines of the existing expressions.
Tasting Notes:
Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest is bottled at 46% ABV
Colour: Deep amber
Nose: Sweet malt, biscuit, creamy with a distinctively sharp botanical edge, like juniper or coriander. A splash of water releases myriad herbal and perfumed top notes, such as juniper, coriander, damp woodland, pine needles, nettle and mint. There are glacé cherries, with aromas reminiscent of sweet baking chestnuts and gentle wood smoke.
Taste: A zesty, peppery, effervescent mouthfeel leads into an explosion of flavours: peppermint, menthol, eucalyptus, pine, wood sap, angelica, bitter orange and a hint of aromatic wood smoke. The taste sensation continues, with a bitter-sweet oak tannin flavour, along with some oily vanilla and hints of aniseed.
Finish: Long and lingering, with tangy citrus notes such as orange and lemon, and oak.
