Glenmorangie has launched a new collection of “vintage” malt whiskies, under the banner Bond House No. 1 – Grand Vintage Malt 1990 will be the first expression…
Glenmorangie’s Bond House No. 1 series showcases the individuality of the distillery’s “most complex and elegant” vintage malts, each distilled in one year.
Taking its name from the largest of Glenmorangie’s 19th century bonded warehouses, Warehouse No.1 was home to the distillery’s casks of maturing spirit.
But in 1990, as Glenmorangie sought to meet growing demand, its role was to change entirely. Bonded warehouse No. 1 was transformed into a still house, home to Glenmorangie’s signature copper stills, renowned as the tallest in Scotland.
The inaugural expression, Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990, tells its own story of an “extraordinary spirit which emerged from the most challenging harvest in living memory”.
The new bottling marks 1990 as a year of change at the distillery and the problematic barley harvest from the previous summer. It’s the first release from Glenmorangie’s Bond House No.1 Collection – a 1990 vintage single malt aged in ex-bourbon casks and a small portion of ex-Sherry casks. In his Whisky Bible 2017, Jim Murray gave this a massive 94 points and a Liquid Gold Award.
Glenmorangie carefully nurtured the spirit for 25 years in selected ex-Bourbon casks and ex-Sherry casks.
The new expression, bottled at 43% abv, is described as having “heady floral and fruity notes” while on the palette it has “sweet flavours of orange syrup, puff candy, honeycomb, and vanilla.”
Dr Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling, whisky creation & and whisky stocks, said: “The Bond House No. 1 collection gives connoisseurs a unique opportunity to explore the individuality each year has lent our award-winning spirit.
“I’m delighted that Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990 will launch the collection. Even today, few can explain how a spirit so delicious could emerge from a barley crop of such challenges.
“Combined with a quarter-century of Glenmorangie’s exceptional cask expertise, its finesse and vibrancy has been preserved through the ages, to create a whisky brimming with aromas of heather honey, mandarin and candied fruits and tastes of orange syrup and vanilla, zesty, herbal top notes, baked apples and brown sugar.”
Glenmorangie Grand Vintage Malt 1990 is priced at £495 and available from selected whisky specialist retailers.
