Glenmorangie Bacalta Single Malt Scotch
The eighth release in Glenmorangie’s popular Private Edition collection is Bacalta – created from Glenmorangie first matured in former bourbon casks, then extra-matured in Malmsey Madeira casks. Now, a little wine education first. Madeira is a type of fortified wine made in Portugal and Malmsey is one of the four major styles of Madeira wine, characterized by its dark color, rich texture, and coffee-caramel flavors. Finishing in Malmsey barrels imparts a subtle fruitiness with honey, caramel and chocolate notes in contrast to the raisin-y rich notes from Sherry cask aging. This subtle sweetness is prized by many distilleries and makes Madeira casks extremely prized (Benriach does a great job with Madeira casks as well).
Bacalta, Gaelic for “baked”, is a delicious and honeyed whiskey with an initial burst of toffee leading to fruity richness, Notes of orange, honeycomb and almond swirl on the tongue leading to a rich, syrupy finish and a hint of menthol in the end.