Glenmorangie launches Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection featuring trio of whiskies aged in casks from the world’s finest wine regions
Dr Bill Lumsden is bringing his passion for wine into a trio of new Glenmorangie single malts whiskies with the launch of the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection. The LVMH-owned Highland Scotch brand finds the celebrated master distiller exploring a variety of wine regions with these new expressions.
The Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection features three single malt whiskies that are more than 25 years old and finished in wine casks from Burgundy and Bordeaux in France and Piedmont in Italy. Each bottling in the series is named after the appellation from which it comes: Margaux, Corton-Charlemagne, and Barbaresco.
The oldest bottling in the collection is the 29-year-old Glenmorangie Margaux. Distilled in February 1996, the whisky matured in bourbon casks until 2004, and has since spent 20-plus years finishing in Bordeaux casks. Bottled at 52.5% ABV, the rich, mellow, and complex whisky offers flavors of chocolate, plums and sweet chili.
The 28-year-old Glenmorangie Corton-Charlemagne is the only release in the trio that was finished in white wine casks. First laid down in bourbon casks in 1995, it was then transferred into Burgundy casks in 2005. Spicy, smooth, and full bodied, the single malt offers notes of jasmine, soft smoke, and clove, and comes in at 52.1% ABV.
Bottled at 51.3% ABV, the 27-year-old Glenmorangie Barbaresco Wine Cask Finish is the youngest of the bunch. The whisky was distilled in 1996 and matured in bourbon casks until 2995, when Dr Bill poured a select parcel into wine casks sourced from the famed Italian appellation. Dry, powerful, and rich, the Scotch delivers flavors of leather, rich spices, and eucalyptus.
“My passion for single malt whisky is perhaps only matched by my passion for fine wine,’ says Lumsden. “And my travels through the world’s finest vineyards have inspired many experiments with finishing whisky in wine casks. Of all my experiments, the whiskies in our Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection are among my most prized and delicious. With exceptionally long finishes in precious casks from some of France and Italy’s most renowned wine regions, I’m sure their complexity will delight and intrigue lovers of both whisky and wine.”
The Glenmorangie Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection is available through Moët Hennessy Private Client channel for $9,000 USD. Beginning in October, the collection can also be found at Glenmorangie’s Boutique at Heathrow Airport, Terminal 2, as well as in select retail outlets worldwide and the distillery visitor center in Tain. For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
Earlier this month, Lumsden teamed up with Japanese botanical artist Azuma Makoto to create a new whisky inspired by the Japanese concept of shinra bansho (meaning “all things in nature”), Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old.
