Glenmorangie Taghta

I'm finally getting to taste some samples from individuals I've connected with online. This particular spirit was shared by a friend, facilitated by another acquaintance. The name of this spirit, meaning "Chosen" in Gaelic, was a limited in-house creation collaboratively developed by a cask membership group. They influenced the flavor profile, selected individual casks, and even contributed to the label's design. It's a concept created by enthusiasts, for enthusiasts. The resulting blend has an amber hue, an oily consistency that doesn't produce many legs, and was bottled at 46% ABV. I suspect it may be chill-filtered and have added color. It's believed 12,000 bottles were initially available only to members before broader distribution. The aroma begins with subtle sherry notes and light citrus, complemented by bread and vanilla after some time. The palate strongly reflects the manzanilla sherry casks, offering fruitiness and a touch of light citrus zest. The barrel influence is quite pronounced, contributing a somewhat sharp, cracked pepper and cinnamon character. As a non-age statement spirit, it exhibits the common issue of harshness from young spirit, preventing the flavors from fully integrating and smoothing out. This characteristic is typical of many NAS spirits. The finish is of medium length but possesses a thicker mouthfeel than many previous spirits I've tried from this producer, which is a positive. Unfortunately, it's followed by more pepper and a saltier, drier finish than I prefer. Overall, the concept is commendable: allowing fans to shape an exclusive bottling. The price is a bit steep, especially for a NAS spirit at $130, and while I'm not a huge fan of the producer, I'm glad I had the opportunity to sample it. I'll happily rate this 3.5 stars and am thankful for the chance to try it. Cheers.

Very spicy and peppery. A bit harsh at first.