Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest

Following up on A Tale of Winter, I decided to try this one. It's a whisky made from barley kilned with woodland botanicals, which is quite unique. Glenmorangie has a history of interesting and inventive limited releases; hopefully, this is one of them. Nose: An intense aroma of dried apricot, walnut, and toasted almond, with cashew notes. Shortbread cookie and vanilla add sweetness. It leans more towards an Irish aroma than Scotch. Honey and toffee are present, along with roasted chestnut. Vanilla and caramel dominate, with hints of pear and apricot. Fig, date, and cranberry notes are also detected. It's quite potent. Palate: Juniper notes are prominent here, followed by a strong blackberry/jam flavor. Raspberry is also present. Vanilla, caramel, and toffee are noticeable, as is milk chocolate. Orange citrus, golden raisin, apricot, almond, cashew, and walnut come through. Sugar cookie notes are also detected. Finish: Raspberry and blackberry flavors lead, with a strong wintergreen note. Toffee, vanilla, caramel, and orange citrus follow. Spices like cinnamon, white pepper, clove, and nutmeg are present. The finish is moderately long. This is a robust whisky. While I appreciate robust spirits, this one has many astringent qualities. It lacks balance and has a chemical-like sharpness that detracts from what could have been an interesting concept. At $100, it doesn't quite justify the price. It's not a bad whisky, but it didn't fully achieve its creators' goals. Perhaps it needed more time in the barrel, or maybe the concept inherently led to an unbalanced product. An interesting idea resulted in a mediocre outcome. Rated 3.25 out of 5.

The whiskey producer has put out a collection of drinks that tell a story. The first was "A tale of Cake," and the second "A tale of Winter"; both excellent single malts that delivered on their promise. Now comes "A tale of Forest," a mildly smoky dram intended to evoke a woodland experience. The distillery achieved this by kilning the malted barley with peat and woodland herbs and botanicals, creating the character the distiller sought. It is bottled at 46% ABV and has a golden hue. Initially, the aroma presented pleasant notes of damp earth, peat, and heather. It's quite fragrant, with hints of moor, plastic, and foam, smelling like a jungle. The palate is somewhat muted, with a faint vanilla, muddy taste, and orange peel. It just barely meets expectations. The finish is grassy, with aromatic incense and the scent of burnt hay. The herbal notes are so strong you can almost chew them. There's also ginger. While this isn't the world's best whisky, or even close, respect is due to the distillery. It genuinely tastes like a forest, as advertised. This means all three expressions released in this series have succeeded in their objective: to tell a story of cake, winter, and forest. My scoring system indicates an 85 out of 100, but it feels more like an 87-88. My system has been generous before, but now it seems a bit strict. Such is life. Cheers!

Nose: begins with an initial funky peat that quickly transitions to a strong birchwood bonfire. A hint of juniper. Faint eucalyptus. Moderately leathery. Palate: an initial heat, fragrant and floral. Tastes like a forest floor during late winter/early spring rain. A little young/hot malt. Caramel and a bit of sweet vanilla. Juniper emerges as it moves to the finish. Perhaps some agave? Finish: a bit warm, a bit peaty, and a pleasant tannic oak.

Observed in a liquor store: A very attractive design for the case and bottle! It looks quite nice. Nose: Herbs and some vanilla. At first, I thought I detected sherry, but I believe they did not use sherry casks, so it must have been my imagination. Palate: Some sweetness, but also a slight bitterness and brininess - acceptable! Finish: Medium length, warming. This is certainly an acceptable and well-crafted drink, and I would gladly consume it if offered (and it was!). However, I did not purchase a bottle.

NOSE Earthy grain, floral honey, dried fruit, toasted nuts, waxy confectionery, and a trace of smoke. The name is fitting; this possesses a rich, earthy, and woody scent; it's magnificent. PALATE Caramel, earthy grain, floral honey, smoke, vanilla cake, waxy confectionery, and a subtle nutty note. Warm and dryly earthy with a light herbal quality throughout. Once again, it's truly wonderful. FINISH Lingering -> Caramel, earthy grain, smoke, and spice.

The last time I tried this, it felt like an ideal choice for summer, akin to a chardonnay among whiskies. - A delightful nose with notes of honey and sweet tobacco. - A crisp palate featuring the bright malt of Glenmorangie, but with subtle hints of peat, juniper (like gin), and pine. It achieves a beautiful balance, creating an inviting forest-like aroma.