Glenmorangie
Encyclopedia
Glenmorangie is a distillery
in Tain
, Ross-shire
, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky
. The distillery is owned by The Glenmorangie Company Ltd, whose main product is the range of Glenmorangie single malt whisky
. Glenmorangie is categorised as a Highland distillery
and boasts the tallest stills
in Scotland. It is available in Original, 18, and 25 year old bottlings, special cask bottlings, cask finishes, extra matured bottlings, and a range of special edition bottlings. The Glenmorangie Company also owns the Ardbeg Distillery on Islay and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
based in Leith, Edinburgh.
.
It is said that the production of alcohol started at Morangie Farm in 1738, when a brewery was built that shared the farm's water source, the Tarlogie Spring. A former distillery manager, William Matheson, acquired the farm in 1843 and converted the Morangie brewery to a distillery, equipped with two second hand gin
stills
. He later renamed the distillery Glenmorangie.
The distillery was purchased by its main customer, the Leith firm Macdonald and Muir, in 1918. The Macdonald family would retain control of the company for almost 90 years.
Glenmorangie, like all distilleries and breweries in Britain suffered terribly between 1920 and 1950, with prohibition
and then the Great Depression
in the United States reducing whisky sales. The distillery was effectively mothballed between 1931 and 1936. The depression ended with World War II
, but the war effort left fuel and barley
in short supply and the distillery was again mothballed between 1941 and 1944. Exports of whisky were important during the war, but enemy action disrupted and destroyed deliveries to the United States and Canada.
Towards the end of the war and in the immediate post war period, the distillery increased production and was running at full capacity by 1948. The number of stills was increased from two to four during 1977. Water supply became a concern during the 1980s with development of the land around the Tarlogie Springs becoming more likely. This development could have reduced the quality and quantity of water available to the distillery, so the decision was made by Macdonald and Muir to purchase around 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land around and including the Tarlogie Springs to guarantee the quality and quantity of water necessary. The distillery once again engaged in expansion during 1990 when it added a further four stills, and two additional fermentation vessels (or washbacks) were added during 2002. Four new stills were added in 2009, bringing the total to twelve.
The Macdonald family retained ownership of 52% of the company through a complicated London stock exchange
listing which saw the family hold the majority of the voting shares of the company. The family sold the company in 2004 for around £300 million to the French drinks company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Following the acquisition by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Tayburn design agency were appointed to redesign Glenmorangie as part of a brand overhaul. This included the introduction of a new, more curvacious bottle, and the renaming of some of its variants. Its Wood Finish whiskies were given new names such as The Quinta Ruban, Nectar d'Or and LaSanta, which were also advertised as non chill-filtered for the first time.
Commentators have observed that the redesign appears to re-position Glenmorangie as an international luxury brand. According to Professor Paul Freathy, the director of the Institute of Retail Studies at the University of Stirling, "The French-sounding names are an unusual innovation, because what makes whisky unique is the traditional tie to Scotland. It's a brave strategy."
According to the Tayburn design agency, "Following the acquisition of Glenmorangie, parent company LVMH made clear their strategy to move the brand into the world of luxury. We have been working on a number of projects to reflect this 'new world' positioning. Our work continues to challenge traditional perceptions of whisky branding, introducing Glenmorangie to a modern, luxury fraternity."
For some years, The Glenmorangie Company supplied its whisky for the production of "own brand" blended whisky by supermarket groups. This ceased in 2009 when it sold off the Glen Moray
brand.
Glenmorangie has been the best selling single malt in Scotland
almost continuously since 1983, and produces around 10 million bottles per annum, of which 6 to 6.5 million are sold in the UK. Globally, Glenmorangie has a 6% share of the single malt market.
Glenmorangie's water source is the Tarlogie Springs, situated in the Tarlogie Hills above the distillery. Barley grain is supplied by Highland Grain Ltd, a co-operative of farmers in the area. The stills used, the tallest in Scotland at 26 in 3 in (8 m) tall, with 10 foot necks, are claimed by the company to produce an extremely light taste. The distillation process is undertaken by a staff of 16, known as The Sixteen Men of Tain, who work year round, with the exceptions of Christmas and periods of maintenance.
Glenmorangie uses a number of different cask types, with all products being matured in white oak casks which are manufactured from trees growing in Glenmorangie's own forest in the Ozark Mountains
of Missouri
, United States. These new casks are left to air for two years before being leased to distillers Jack Daniel's
and Heaven Hill
for them to mature bourbon
in for four years. Glenmorangie then uses their barrels to mature their spirit. The Original range will mature entirely in ex-bourbon casks, while the Extra Matured range of bottlings are transferred into casks that were previously used to mature other products such as wine, port or sherry
in a process called finishing. These form part of the regular range of products Glenmorangie produces. Glenmorangie also obtains small batches of other casks for finishing and release limited edition bottlings from these. Following acquisition by LMVH, Glenmorangie produced a rare limited edition aged in casks previously used to mature Château Margaux
; these bottlings are now (2011) extremely hard to find and are priced accordingly.
The warehouses in which the casks are stored are also believed to affect the taste of the whisky. Glenmorangie have released a special edition bottling, titled Cellar 13 which is from the warehouse closest to the sea, as the whisky is believed to have a distinctive flavour.
Bottling of the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg
brands takes place at the The Glenmorangie Company's purpose built bottling plant in The Alba Campus at Livingston, West Lothian, just outside Edinburgh
, Scotland. Glenmorangie previously bottled Drambuie
in a joint venture with the Drambuie Company; this arrangement ended in 2010.
competitions and from liquor reviewing bodies. Its 12-year Lasanta and 18-year single malt spirits, for example, have never received less than gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competitions. The 12-year Lasanta has received "Tier 1" status from Proof66.com, which aggregates liquor ratings from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Wine Enthusiast, and others.
Over the last 5 years Glenmorangie has won more 'Gold Best in Class' awards than any other single malt Scotch whisky from the International Wine and Spirits Competition.
Distillation
Distillation is a method of separating mixtures based on differences in volatilities of components in a boiling liquid mixture. Distillation is a unit operation, or a physical separation process, and not a chemical reaction....
in Tain
Tain
Tain is a royal burgh and post town in the committee area of Ross and Cromarty, in the Highland area of Scotland.-Etymology:...
, Ross-shire
Ross-shire
Ross-shire is an area in the Highland Council Area in Scotland. The name is now used as a geographic or cultural term, equivalent to Ross. Until 1889 the term denoted a county of Scotland, also known as the County of Ross...
, Scotland that produces single malt Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky
Scotch whisky is whisky made in Scotland.Scotch whisky is divided into five distinct categories: Single Malt Scotch Whisky, Single Grain Scotch Whisky, Blended Malt Scotch Whisky , Blended Grain Scotch Whisky, and Blended Scotch Whisky.All Scotch whisky must be aged in oak barrels for at least three...
. The distillery is owned by The Glenmorangie Company Ltd, whose main product is the range of Glenmorangie single malt whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
. Glenmorangie is categorised as a Highland distillery
Highland Single Malts
Highland Single Malts are single malt Scotch whiskies produced in the Highland region of Scotland. This categorization includes the whiskies produced on the islands around the perimeter of Scotland , except for Islay...
and boasts the tallest stills
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
in Scotland. It is available in Original, 18, and 25 year old bottlings, special cask bottlings, cask finishes, extra matured bottlings, and a range of special edition bottlings. The Glenmorangie Company also owns the Ardbeg Distillery on Islay and The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society , founded in Edinburgh in 1983, is a membership organisation which bottles and sells single cask, single malt whisky. It purchases individual casks from more than 125 malt whisky distilleries in Scotland and throughout the world, bottles them and retails directly to...
based in Leith, Edinburgh.
History
Legend tells that alcoholic beverages of one kind or another were produced in and around Tain since the Middle AgesMiddle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
.
It is said that the production of alcohol started at Morangie Farm in 1738, when a brewery was built that shared the farm's water source, the Tarlogie Spring. A former distillery manager, William Matheson, acquired the farm in 1843 and converted the Morangie brewery to a distillery, equipped with two second hand gin
Gin
Gin is a spirit which derives its predominant flavour from juniper berries . Although several different styles of gin have existed since its origins, it is broadly differentiated into two basic legal categories...
stills
Pot still
A pot still is a type of still used in distilling spirits such as whisky or brandy. Heat is applied directly to the pot containing the wash or wine . This is called a batch distillation ....
. He later renamed the distillery Glenmorangie.
The distillery was purchased by its main customer, the Leith firm Macdonald and Muir, in 1918. The Macdonald family would retain control of the company for almost 90 years.
Glenmorangie, like all distilleries and breweries in Britain suffered terribly between 1920 and 1950, with prohibition
Prohibition in the United States
Prohibition in the United States was a national ban on the sale, manufacture, and transportation of alcohol, in place from 1920 to 1933. The ban was mandated by the Eighteenth Amendment to the Constitution, and the Volstead Act set down the rules for enforcing the ban, as well as defining which...
and then the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
in the United States reducing whisky sales. The distillery was effectively mothballed between 1931 and 1936. The depression ended with World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, but the war effort left fuel and barley
Barley
Barley is a major cereal grain, a member of the grass family. It serves as a major animal fodder, as a base malt for beer and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods...
in short supply and the distillery was again mothballed between 1941 and 1944. Exports of whisky were important during the war, but enemy action disrupted and destroyed deliveries to the United States and Canada.
Towards the end of the war and in the immediate post war period, the distillery increased production and was running at full capacity by 1948. The number of stills was increased from two to four during 1977. Water supply became a concern during the 1980s with development of the land around the Tarlogie Springs becoming more likely. This development could have reduced the quality and quantity of water available to the distillery, so the decision was made by Macdonald and Muir to purchase around 600 acres (2.4 km²) of land around and including the Tarlogie Springs to guarantee the quality and quantity of water necessary. The distillery once again engaged in expansion during 1990 when it added a further four stills, and two additional fermentation vessels (or washbacks) were added during 2002. Four new stills were added in 2009, bringing the total to twelve.
The Macdonald family retained ownership of 52% of the company through a complicated London stock exchange
London Stock Exchange
The London Stock Exchange is a stock exchange located in the City of London within the United Kingdom. , the Exchange had a market capitalisation of US$3.7495 trillion, making it the fourth-largest stock exchange in the world by this measurement...
listing which saw the family hold the majority of the voting shares of the company. The family sold the company in 2004 for around £300 million to the French drinks company Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton.
Following the acquisition by Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, Tayburn design agency were appointed to redesign Glenmorangie as part of a brand overhaul. This included the introduction of a new, more curvacious bottle, and the renaming of some of its variants. Its Wood Finish whiskies were given new names such as The Quinta Ruban, Nectar d'Or and LaSanta, which were also advertised as non chill-filtered for the first time.
Commentators have observed that the redesign appears to re-position Glenmorangie as an international luxury brand. According to Professor Paul Freathy, the director of the Institute of Retail Studies at the University of Stirling, "The French-sounding names are an unusual innovation, because what makes whisky unique is the traditional tie to Scotland. It's a brave strategy."
According to the Tayburn design agency, "Following the acquisition of Glenmorangie, parent company LVMH made clear their strategy to move the brand into the world of luxury. We have been working on a number of projects to reflect this 'new world' positioning. Our work continues to challenge traditional perceptions of whisky branding, introducing Glenmorangie to a modern, luxury fraternity."
For some years, The Glenmorangie Company supplied its whisky for the production of "own brand" blended whisky by supermarket groups. This ceased in 2009 when it sold off the Glen Moray
Glen Moray
The Glen Moray Glenlivet Distillery is a distillery in Speyside, Scotland that produces single malt scotch whisky. The distillery was sold in 2008 by the Glenmorangie Company Ltd to La Martiniquaise.-History:...
brand.
Glenmorangie has been the best selling single malt in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
almost continuously since 1983, and produces around 10 million bottles per annum, of which 6 to 6.5 million are sold in the UK. Globally, Glenmorangie has a 6% share of the single malt market.
Production
The Ozarks
The Ozarks are a physiographic and geologic highland region of the central United States. It covers much of the southern half of Missouri and an extensive portion of northwestern and north central Arkansas...
of Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
, United States. These new casks are left to air for two years before being leased to distillers Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's
Jack Daniel's is a brand of sour mash Tennessee whiskey that is among the world's best-selling liquors. It is known for its square bottles and black label. As of November, 2007, one blogger was claiming that it was the best-selling whiskey in the world. It is produced in Lynchburg, Tennessee by...
and Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill
Heaven Hill Distilleries, Inc., is a private family-owned and operated distillery company headquartered in Bardstown, Kentucky that produces and markets the Heaven Hill brand of Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey and a variety of other distilled spirits. Its current distillery facility, called the...
for them to mature bourbon
Bourbon whiskey
Bourbon is a type of American whiskey – a barrel-aged distilled spirit made primarily from corn. The name of the spirit derives from its historical association with an area known as Old Bourbon, around what is now Bourbon County, Kentucky . It has been produced since the 18th century...
in for four years. Glenmorangie then uses their barrels to mature their spirit. The Original range will mature entirely in ex-bourbon casks, while the Extra Matured range of bottlings are transferred into casks that were previously used to mature other products such as wine, port or sherry
Sherry
Sherry is a fortified wine made from white grapes that are grown near the town of Jerez , Spain. In Spanish, it is called vino de Jerez....
in a process called finishing. These form part of the regular range of products Glenmorangie produces. Glenmorangie also obtains small batches of other casks for finishing and release limited edition bottlings from these. Following acquisition by LMVH, Glenmorangie produced a rare limited edition aged in casks previously used to mature Château Margaux
Château Margaux
Château Margaux, archaically La Mothe de Margaux, is a wine estate of Bordeaux wine, and was one of four wines to achieve Premier cru status in the Bordeaux Classification of 1855. The estate's best wines are very expensive...
; these bottlings are now (2011) extremely hard to find and are priced accordingly.
The warehouses in which the casks are stored are also believed to affect the taste of the whisky. Glenmorangie have released a special edition bottling, titled Cellar 13 which is from the warehouse closest to the sea, as the whisky is believed to have a distinctive flavour.
Bottling of the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg
Ardbeg
Ardbeg Distillery is a Scotch whisky distillery on the south coast of the isle of Islay, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, in the Inner Hebrides group of islands. The distillery claims to produce the peatiest Islay whisky and uses malted barley sourced from the maltings in Port Ellen. It is one of the...
brands takes place at the The Glenmorangie Company's purpose built bottling plant in The Alba Campus at Livingston, West Lothian, just outside Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland. Glenmorangie previously bottled Drambuie
Drambuie
Drambuie is a sweet, golden colored 80-proof liqueur made from malt whisky, honey, herbs, and spices.Produced in Broxburn, West Lothian, Scotland, it is served straight, on the rocks, or added to mixed drinks such as the Rusty Nail....
in a joint venture with the Drambuie Company; this arrangement ended in 2010.
Pronunciation
The name of the whisky is icon , with the stress on the 'mor' and rhyming with orangey, not */ˌɡlɛnmɔˈrændʒi/ as it is commonly mispronounced.Current Products
Glenmorangie Single Malt- The Original (10 Years Old)
- Lasanta (Sherry Cask Extra Matured)
- Quinta Ruban (Port Cask Extra Matured)
- Nectar D'Or (SauternesSauternes (wine)Sauternes is a French sweet wine from the Sauternais region of the Graves section in Bordeaux. Sauternes is made from Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, and Muscadelle grapes that have been affected by Botrytis cinerea, also known as noble rot. This causes the grapes to become partially raisined,...
Cask Extra Matured) - Astar (exclusively matured in Designer casks)
- Sonnalta PX (extra matured in Pedro Ximenez Sherry casks)
- Finealta (exclusively matured in American white oak casks and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks)
- Signet
- Extremely Rare (18 Years Old)
- The Quarter Century (25 Years Old)
Accolades
Glenmorangie's products have tended to garner very high scores from international Spirit ratingsSpirit ratings
With a growing number of microdistilleries and an expanding number of offerings from large corporate entities, a number of institutions have arisen to provide professional evaluations of individual spirits...
competitions and from liquor reviewing bodies. Its 12-year Lasanta and 18-year single malt spirits, for example, have never received less than gold medals at the San Francisco World Spirits Competitions. The 12-year Lasanta has received "Tier 1" status from Proof66.com, which aggregates liquor ratings from the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, Wine Enthusiast, and others.
Over the last 5 years Glenmorangie has won more 'Gold Best in Class' awards than any other single malt Scotch whisky from the International Wine and Spirits Competition.