Glenmorangie Ealanta joins Private Edition whisky series

Glenmorangie has released Ealanta, the fourth annual addition to its Private Edition whisky range.

Glenmorangie Ealanta is the fourth addition to the brand’s Private Edition range

The 19-year-old Glenmorangie, which has a 46% abv, has been aged in American white oak casks and is described as having a toffee and butterscotch aroma, with sugar almonds and vanilla on the palate.

Glenmorangie distilling and whisky creation director Dr. Bill Lumsden began experimenting with virgin oak casks made from wood grown in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri, US in the early 1990s.

“Having discovered these casks and sampled them, I realised then what a jewel we had and immediately had the casks secreted in a safe place,” he said. “Over the years I have kept a close eye on their progress, and although the final recipe for Glenmorangie Ealanta is from me and my team, it’s a real pleasure to see the original experiment see the light of day at last…and be still here to celebrate it.”

The Private Edition range comprises of three other experimental whiskies aged in different wood types.

They include the Glenmorangie Sonnalta PX (aged in Pedro Ximenez sherry casks), the Glenmorangie Finealta (aged in American white oak and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks), and the Glenmorangie Artein (aged in rare Tuscan wine casks).

Lumsden added that the Ealanta’s use of virgin oak would impart a pure flavor, setting the whisky apart from the preceding whiskies in the Private Edition series.

“Using virgin oak casks that have been heavily toasted adds huge mouth-filling, buttery, creamy, vanilla flavours – somewhat like a crème brulée topped with almond and marzipan. This makes for a lovely rounded and complex expression of Glenmorangie.”

Glenmorangie Ealanta is available globally from this month, and carries an RRP of £74.99.