The fifth whisky in the Glenmorangie A Of collection looks to deliver the nostalgic delight of a classic ice cream parlor
Glenmorangie has unveiled A Tale of Ice Cream, the fifth release from their Tale Of series. The latest narrative-infused whisky from Dr Bill Lumsden looks to capture the nostalgic delight of an age-old ice cream parlor through ‘irresistible’ and ‘decadent’ flavors.
“Ice cream is an irresistible indulgence and – inspired by the flavors you might find on an ice cream parlor menu – we imagined creating a whisky of melting decadence and lavish swirls of flavor.”
Sweet, creamy, with hints of fresh fruits and an abundance of vanilla, master blender Gillian MacDonald and the team at Glenmorangie turned to their casks to incorporate the delightful characteristics of ice cream within the dram.
“We had the opportunity through a couple of our suppliers to purchase some unusual casks that promised to dial up specific flavors and characteristics, due to the way that they had been heat treated, allowing us to accentuate those vanilla aspects,” said MacDonald. “We then committed some whisky that had been sitting in Bourbon barrels so it was already very vanilla-y anyway, and then added that into these casks to finish, and that’s where it really accentuated those vanilla flavors.”
Speaking more on casks, Dr. Lumsden noted “by aging Glenmorangie in Bourbon and high-vanillin casks, we have deliciously magnified our whisky’s sweetest, creamiest side. With notes of peach melba, lemon sorbet, coconut flakes and rich vanilla, sipping Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream is like sinking your spoon into a carousel of flavor. We invite whisky lovers old and new to indulge their sweet tooth and enjoy this ultimate treat.”
For MacDonald, this latest release from the Tale Of series focuses on connecting with the consumer from a place of experience and nostalgia. Because of that, MacDonald and the team at Glenmorangie decided to exclude an age statement to emphasize the sentimental flavors of their latest expression.
“The Tale Of series is more about the storytelling aspect and bringing it more to life,” she said. “Everyone has an ice cream memory – It’s very evocative. It reminds me of specific holidays, and I’ve yet to meet anybody who doesn’t really like ice cream… It’s a fun and quite frivolous series, as well, so we’re trying to not put in some of the traditional cues that people sometimes look for – even the way it’s packaged, it’s not what you’d expect a whisky to be looking like, so again, it just makes sense to us to not put an age on there.”
On the nose, the whisky delivers a burst of manuka honey, alongside lemon-flavored butter candy, baking raisin bread, candied orange peel, peaches, toffee, and a hint of spice. The palate features a thick, rich, and creamy texture, and offers sweet and spicy flavors of brioche, almond marzipan, honeycomb, fudge, lemon sherbet, and desiccated coconut. Spices warm the palate, with cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and clove. The long and lingering finish combines hints of toffee apple, sweet popcorn, and a note of aniseed.
Bottled at 46% ABV, Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream retails for £76 or $101 and is available at the distillery visitor center, select retailers, or via the brand’s official website. Previous editions in the series include A Tale Of Cake, A Tale of Winter, A Tale of the Forest, and last year’s A Tale of Tokyo.
Additionally, a limited amount of A Tale of Ice Cream-themed lambswool sweaters will be available for purchase at the visitor center. They are designed by Scottish knitwear designer Donna Wilson.
Last month, Glenmorangie launched the Pursuit of Passion Wine Cask Collection featuring trio of whiskies aged in casks from the world’s finest wine regions
