Glenmorangie Signet (70cl, 46%)
Introduced in 2008, the Glenmorangie Signet is a combination of younger 'chocolate malt' blended with some very mature, over 30 year old Glenmorangie.
This superb Glenmorangie was created with a marriage of whiskies produced from two unique types of malted barley: a single estate Cadboll variety and malted chocolate barley, which is better known as a basis for craft beers. The Signet was distilled twice through Glenmorangie's copper-pot stills, by a team of 16 distillers known as the 'Sixteen Men of Tain'. It was subsequently matured in bespoke American virgin oak casks before it was bottled at 46%, and received no chill-filtration.
While it carries no-age-statement, there is said to be an element of some of the distillery's oldest and rarest stocks, ranging from 35 to 40 years old, in this Highland single malt. Beautifully packaged and stunningly arranged, the Glenmorangie Signet is an outstanding whisky of unprecedented style and taste. Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's Master of Whisky Creation, described it as the culmination of a "lifetime of experimentation and innovation".
The hard work paid off, as the Signet won Whisky of the Year in the same year as Lumsden was named Master Distiller of the Year at the 2016 International Whisky Competition.
This edition takes it name from the ornate square design that adorns most Glenmorangie bottles. The signet itself originated from the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, a Pictish artefact that dates back to around the year 800 AD.
Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery's main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland's tallest stills, Glenmorangie is now one of the world's biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers. Pioneers of cask finishes, the distillery has never shied away from experimentation, and under the guiding hand of Maestro Dr Bill Lumsden they continue to release a variety of expressions to keep "The Sixteen Men of Tain" rushed off their feet.