- Scotch whisky label Glenmorangie has announced a rare Moscatel matured single malt, released exclusively for Australia and New Zealand.
- The Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask is produced in partnership with The Whisky Club and will be available only to Club members.
- The 48.2% ABV single malt comes from a pilot batch of Moscatel dessert wine casks dating back as early as 2009.
- Priced at AUD$150, Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask will be released as The Whisky Club’s January Whisky of the Month, launching on Friday 9 January.
When it comes to one-off releases, Australia is rarely at the top of the list. Whether it’s whisky, watches, fashion releases or film premieres, the Land Down Under is usually the last place to receive a first scoop, but that is all starting to change.
In recent times, we’ve seen a spate of luxury brands realise the value and potential of the Australian market, working alongside collectors and communities to drive interest in exclusive releases. Late last year it was LVMH-owned watch brand TAG Heuer that dropped an Australia-only Carrera model and now another LVMH-backed producer is following suit. Revered Scotch whisky label, Glenmorangie has just unveiled a world release that you can only purchase in Australia and New Zealand.
Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask
Announced this week, the Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask is a bold new experiment from the Highland Scotch whisky icon. Created in partnership with Australian enterprise, The Whisky Club, the Moscatel Cask is derived from a pilot batch of Moscatel dessert wine casks dating back as early as 2009.
Originally distilled by Dr Bill Lumsden, seven-time World’s Best Master Distiller and director of distilling, whisky creation and whisky stocks at Glenmorangie, the spirit housed within the Moscatel casks has its own unique story. After an initial maturation in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks, the liquid underwent a second maturation inside casks that previously held Moscatel; an aromatic wine prominent in Spain and Portugal.
Over seven long years, the liquid soaked up the intense sweet, floral, and fruity flavours of the cask, creating a layered finish that feels innately premium. According to Dr Lumsden, the original idea was to evolve and deepen the acclaimed Nectar d’Or recipe, however, the experiment was never intended for public release.
“What you have here is the original prototype and the original experiment,“ Dr Lumsden said via Drinks Trade. “Instantly there’s a lot of fruit in there, there’s the syrupy sweetness but there’s also a little bit of structure there from the French oak that these barrels are made out of.“
Remarkably, the majority of the liquid was distilled in 2009, making it closer to 16 years of age, however, age statement restrictions govern that The Whisky Club and Glenmorangie must work to the youngest traceable parcel.
Australasia Exclusive
At 48.2% ABV, the Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask is a rich and decadent release that perfectly walks the line between indulgence and strength. Moreover, it marks the first time that the Glenmorangie distillery has ever filled Moscatel dessert wine casks, a fact that isn’t lost on The Whisky Club.
“The results are mind-blowing,“ the business wrote. “Glenmorangie’s trademark full-flavoured elegance is on full show, with the lengthy, seven year secondary Moscatel maturation adding flavours of strawberry creams, choc orange, ANZAC biscuit, creamy vanilla custard, baked apples and dark spice, plus some lovely light florals on the nose that only Moscatel casks can deliver.“
As the expression is being offered exclusively through The Whisky Club, it will only be available to Australian and New Zealand members. Priced at AUD$150, the Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask makes for an impressive collectors’ item, but only a select few will have access to the world-first.
With the expression being offered exclusively through The Whisky Club and with no global release planned, only Australian and New Zealand Whisky Club members will be able to score a bottle. So, it almost goes without saying: the Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask won’t be for everyone, just a lucky few. How’s that for an Australian success story?
Glenmorangie 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask Technical Specifications
- Brand: Glenmorangie
- Expression: 13 Year Old Moscatel Cask
- Age: 13 Years Old
- Style: Single Malt Scotch
- ABV: 48.2%
- First Maturation: Initial years in first-fill ex-Bourbon casks
- Second Maturation: 7 years in the distillery’s first ever parcel of Moscatel dessert wine casks
- Availability: Exclusive to Australia and New Zealand
- Price: AUD$150
