TAIN, Scotland — Glenmorangie’s Ealanta single-malt whisky — stashed away for 19 years and recently released as a limited edition — has been named the world’s best whisky.
“I hid the barrels in a corner of a warehouse 19 years ago so the whisky didn’t get used in a blend. I first opened [them] three or four years ago and realized I’d created something different,” Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of Distilling and Whisky Creation told Scotsman.com.
Distilled in Scotland using virgin American white oak casks from Missouri in the maturation process, it features an aroma of toffee, butterscotch, vanilla and a hint of stewed fruits. The taste combines candied orange peel, sugar-coated almonds, sweet vanilla and marzipan.
“Not only did it blow one away with its deftness, beauty and elegance, but it gave an aroma and taste profile completely new to me in over 30 years of tasting whisky,” Jim Murray, author of the Whisky Bible and internationally renowned expert on whisky, told Scotsman.com.
In the 2014 edition of the annual publication, Ealanta scored 97.5 out of a possible 100, claiming the title of World Whisky of the Year. It retails for about $120.
