Glenmorangie Companta is the fifth release in the Private Edition and follows hot on the heels of Glenmorangie Ealanta which was awarded “Best Whisky in the World” by Jim Murray in his Whisky Bible 2014. Glenmorangie’s Head of Distilling & Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden oversees the creation of the entire Glenmorangie range. So far his Private Edition range has seen the release of the following.
Sonnalta PX – finished in old Pedro Ximenez (dessert) Sherry casks
Artein – finished in ex- Sassicaia casks (one of the first Super-Tuscans)
Finealta – a recreation of the Glenmorangie blend from the early 1900s with a small amount of peated malt
Ealanta – a 19 Year Old whisky aged in virgin American white oak casks sourced from trees grown in the Mark Twain National Forest in Missouri
The most recent Glenmorangie Private Edition release continues Lumsden’s experiment with old wine casks and is a careful assemblage of whisky that has been “extra matured” (after an initial maturation in American oak) in casks that have previously held wine from the Burgundy Grand Cru, Clos de Tart (Pinot Noir), and casks that previously held a “lusciously sweet fortified wine from the Côtes du Rhône”. I have been scratching my head and the only sweet fortified wines (vin doux naturel) I can think of are the white, sweet and grapey Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. The only other I can think of would be the sweet, red (sometimes tawny in style, when aged) wines of Rasteau. These are predominantly made from Grenache Noir grapes and would certainly help supply some of the extraordinary and glorious red colour. Glenmorangie Companta is non chill-filtered and bottled at 46% abv.
Dr Bill says that Glenmorangie Companta is inspired by his travels to some of France’s greatest vineyards and the passionate winemakers and friends that he has met along the way. Indeed, Glenmorangie Companta is the Scots Gaelic word for “friendship”. As Lumsden says in the press release, “To complement the bold, spicy character imparted from the Grand Cru casks, I selected a parcel of Glenmorangie which had been extra maturing in casks having previously contained a lusciously sweet fortified wine from Cotes du Rhone. It took some time, but with careful fine tuning we reached a harmonious assemblage which proved the perfect balance; neither too bold nor too tame!”
Glenmorangie Companta Tasting Notes, from their website
Aroma – On the nose, Glenmorangie Companta exudes rich, ‘autumnal’ scents of red berries and damp forest floors, with a hint of fragrant woodsmoke complementing notes of aromatic, nutty oak.
Taste – Upon tasting, a spicy palate redolent of cherries and stewed fruits is slowly revealed, as notes of sugared plums, blood orange and rose-hip syrup emerge alongside milk chocolate and brown sugar.
Finish – Companta lingers on with a rich, mouth-coating finish.
Colour – Cherry red
