Glenmorangie Tùsail Private Edition Scotch Whisky

Old grain, new story.

The Glenmorangie Distillery was founded in 1843 when the Matheson brothers converted the Morangie farm into a distillery. It lies just north of Tain, on the wind-swept coastline of Easter Ross. Their stills are the tallest found in Scotland – as tall as a giraffe, apparently – of the same design as those used in the 1880s which were in fact second-hand Gin stills. This means that only the very lightest vapors make it to the top, resulting in a smooth and elegant Scotch Whisky.

This little gem at hand was again designed by Dr. Bill Lumsden, their main Whisky creator, but this is definitely not their typical dram. Glenmorangie Tùsail is the sixth entry from the celebrated Glenmorangie’s Private Collection, showing off the distillery’s experiments with different varieties of barley.

Named after the Gaelic expression for “of the origins”, Tùsail has been made using an old strain of quality barley, called Maris Otter, which is much more common in English Ales than Scottish Whiskies. In fact, we can’t think of any other Whisky made from this stuff, but we can guarantee the recipe works. The grain, which has been floor malted by hand mind you, has less starch and more protein, which means less alcohol, but more flavor. Hooray!

Matured and aged in a small batch of specially selected ex-bourbon casks, the taste is bold and intense with nutty, gently rustic maltiness. If you want to try something unique, you should definitely go for it.

SmartAss Corner
In the original cult-classic film “The Highlander,” Connor McLeod “of the Clan McLeod” orders a Glenmorangie—to the surprise and admiration of the bartender—after he recovers the sword he hid in Madison Square Garden.