A Tale of the Forest is the new release from Glenmorangie, and is the third in their “A tale of…” series, following A Tale of Cake and A Tale of Winter. A Tale of the Forest is aptly named, for its aromas, flavours, style – and even its production – are all closely linked to the forest. Yes, really!
Let’s get the big and obvious feature of this whisky out of the way first: This is unlike any Glenmorangie you’ve previously tried. It’s an altogether different style, and – whilst it’s got that signature Glenmorangie depth, complexity, and mineralic note – it offers aromas and flavours that will have you thinking you’re a long way from Tain.
The secret lies in A Tale of the Forest’s production. It’s a whisky made unlike any other Scottish malt these days although, ironically, it’s made in a way Scotch whisky was probably made centuries ago. The whisky is made with malt that had botanicals and a wee touch of peat added to the kilning process. In other words, when the barley was being malted and the kiln was fired up to dry the malt, some interesting botanical elements were added to the fire. Juniper berries, birch bark, heather flowers, and even some peat all found their way onto the fire which, in turn, resulted in some wonderful phenols and unique aroma and flavour compounds being infused into the malt as it dried.
The result is a whisky that displays incredible complexity and – it must be said – the aromas of the forest! Pine needles, woodland moss, eucalyptus, mint, orange peel, and a hint of smoke all find their way into the whisky and out of your glass. Yes, even though it’s just a mild waft of smoke, this is actually a peated Glenmorangie.
But we’re used to having a small amount of peat in our whiskies. It’s the addition of the botanicals that makes this fascinating. And, also, no mean feat! The Scotch Whisky Association has particularly strict rules about what you can and can’t do in whisky production, and adding botanicals in this way sails pretty close to the wind. That said, there’s no doubt that the ancient uisge beatha makers of long ago would have thrown all manner of fuel scrounged from the forest on their fires to dry the barley (particularly if their peats hadn’t dried out), and so there’s an ironic link back to history and tradition.
Dr Bill Lumsden, head of Whisky Creation at Glenmorangie, has been experimenting with all aspects of production over the years, tinkering with yeast, barley, fermentation, and maturation. His knowledge of casks and how the wood impacts the whisky is arguably second to none, and he’s been wise in his use of casks here. Given the nature of the malted barley, this is a whisky where we don’t want the spirit overpowered by the wood. Accordingly, the casks used to mature A Tale of the Forest are all second-fill casks, thereby allowing the spirit to shine.
The official tasting notes are appropriately enticing: “Evoking the scents, sounds, and sights of the forest, the single malt surrounds your senses with aromas of pine, juniper and coriander, laced with wisps of smoke. Then tastes of deep-green eucalyptus, lit by rays of bitter orange, drift to a slow, gently oaky finish.” Yes, all those elements are there, particularly the pine needles and the herbal/vegetal notes. But the reference to “wisps of smoke” is apt: This certainly comes off as being lightly smoky. It’s been bottled at 46% ABV.
All in all it’s a wonderful dram and certainly adds a diverse peg in the spectrum of fantastic malts coming out of the Glenmorangie distillery. Did we like it? You bet…after attending the Australian launch for the product, we went straight home and ordered two bottles! For Australian readers, RRP is around $210, although many stockists currently have it listed at $180. Move quickly….this is a once-off release, and stocks are limited.
Cheers,
AD
PS: You might like our other reviews and deep dives on other releases from Glenmorangie…
…and there are more Glenmorangie articles and reviews in our archives. Just put “Glenmorangie” is the search bar to see the full list. (There’s a search widget in the side bar, or you’ll also find Search in the top menu).
