Dr Bill Lumsden, director of all things made of whisky fun at LVMH, didn’t have to look far when it came to finding inspiration for his latest limited-edition Glenmorangie, A Tale of the Forest. Following in the footsteps of last year’s A Tale of Winter and 2020’s A Tale of Cake, the latest narrative-stimulated release from the Highland whisky makers took inspiration from the woods near the Director of Distilling’s home.
Lush and herbaceous, Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest is the brand’s first whisky crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals, in this case juniper berries, birch bark, and heather flowers.
“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,” said Lumsden. “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 fell in love with the flavours brought by juniper, birch bark and heather, to create a Glenmorangie as lush and leafy as the forest itself.
Evoking the scents, sounds, and sights of the forest, the single malt Scotch offers aromas of pine, juniper, and coriander, laced with wisps of smoke. The palate delivers whirls of peppermint, eucalyptus, and bitter orange all floating on clouds of vanilla with hints of black liquorice. It concludes with a slow and luscious finish featuring lemon, orange, and a hint of oak.
Illustrator Pomme Chan was inspired to dream up her own fantastical forest for the whisky’s box. “To me, a forest is all about the senses – the fragrance, as well as what you see and hear,” said Chan Through my illustration, I wanted to convey the mysterious depth of the forest as well as the botanicals and flavours you can find in the whisky: heather, juniper, orange, mint. I hope the pack draws people in and invites them to imagine themselves enjoying Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest on a hike or a picnic – in a forest, of course.”
Bottled at 46% ABV, Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest will retail for $85 and is set to launch on October 3. It will be available exclusively from Selfridges until October 17. For more information, head over to the brand’s official website.
In September, Glenmorangie unveiled the latest addition to its Grand Vintage Malt collection, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1998.