Glenmorangie has teamed up with Japanese floral artist Azuma Makoto to create a limited-edition bottling of their 18 Years Old whisky. Creative Director Dr. Bill Lumsden began changing the brand’s iconic 18-Year-Old back in the late 90s, and the new release celebrates the lighter, floral notes the Scotch now possesses.
Glenmorangie searched the plant to find the right partner to tell the story of this new floral fragrance, finally finding Japanese botanical sculptor Azuma Makoto. Known for his stunning floral installations and his adventurous designs, Makoto has designed flower arrangements for prestigious brands across the globe, while also exploring the rarely seen beauty of flowers by taking them to frozen tundras and dousing them in water, filming CT scans of them, or encasing them in transparent blocks that preserve their beauty.
Captivated by the scents he found in the bouquet of the Glenmorangie 18 Years Old, the floral artist likened the single malt to the wonder of a flower in bloom. “It begins with rich, rounded aromas of dried fruits and honey, then unfurls into a bouquet of geranium, tuberose and jasmine,” explained Makoto. “They dance on the tongue with honeysuckle and sweet pea, figs and nuts until the blossoms fade into a sweet and lingering finish.”
As Azuma Makoto translated the whisky’s delicious bourbon cask softness and sweet, Oloroso sherry cask hints, he drew on the beauty of almost 100 different blooms from across the world. He coaxed each one into blossom at his Tokyo studio for his floral masterpiece Dancing Flowers of Glenmorangie, which is shared in this limited edition.
The Glenmorangie 18 Years Old features whisky that has been aged for 15 years in ex-bourbon casks, then a portion is transferred to Oloroso sherry casks for three years. Finally, the spirits are married together to create the final product.
On the nose, the whisky offers rich, rounded and sweet aromas with dried fruit and complex floral notes such as geranium, jasmine, and narcissus. The palate is a silky balance of honey, malt and a host of flowers including tuberose, sweet pea and honeysuckle. Rich figs and dates emerge with a hint of wood smoke in the background. The finish us long and enticing with the sweetness of dried fruit and subtle dryness of Oloroso nuttiness.
Glenmorangie 18 Years Old is priced at $139.99. For more information, head over to the brand’s official webstie.
Last month, Glenmorangie unveiled a 13-year-old single malt created specifically for the winter season, called A Tale of Winter. The offering follows in the line of last year’s Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake.
