Premium Drams: Glenmorangie Signet Highland Single Malt Whisky

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Price: £114.90
ABV: 46%
Chill Filtered: No
Natural Colour: Yes
Supplier: The Whisky World

Description: With beautiful contemporary packaging, the Glenmorangie Signet is undoubtedly the richest whisky in the Glenmorangie range. It is a marriage of unique and rare whiskies, with the oldest distilled over 30 years ago back when the distillery still malted its own barley on site. The result of a lifetime’s experience, this is s a stylishly bottled dram with a chocolaty and malty palate.

General Comment: I have been looking forward to tasting this whisky. Even thought the Signet has been on shelves for a number of years, I hadnt gotten around to trying it. That said, I was also concerned that I would be disappointed by its quality. I wasn't. The price tag is pretty steep, and this is not in anyway an exceptional whisky; but it is interesting, explorable, fun, and frankly different. If you enjoy the Old Pultney 17 yr Old then I can recommend this whisky as it has a similar buttery, rich, slightly sherried profile that is pleasing to sample. Ultimately when coming to recommend this bottle (or not) I would say that it is simply down to how much you enjoy Glenmorangie, rich whisky's, and the thought of the flavour notes outlined below. If this was a £70 then I would recommend without hesitation. At a £114 it becomes a sizable purchase; especially with so many great whisky's available (including the Old Pultney 17 yr Old) for substantially less.

Without Water

Nose: There is certainly a honeyed fruitiness to the nose that makes you stop and think what it is that you are smelling. Honeyed apricots springs to mind, but after that the smell is absolutely distinctive and unmistakable. There is definitely a cereal note in there too; I'm thinking of crunchy granola and perhaps a biscuitiness along with it; maybe Hob Nobs. I'm trying to think if there is a chocolateiness too the nose; but reflecting, I think its more of a chocolate syrup; the kind that you might put on ice cream or that barista's might use to make blended iced drinks. Maybe even Burger King chocolate milkshake-esque. I feel that the heavily roasted, so-called 'chocolate malt' has definitely added interesting elements to this rich, yet fruity whisky.

Palate: This whisky seems to operate differently in each section of the mouth, and is as such an unusual experience. Firstly, this whisky is very smooth; although there is a fruity, sugary prickling of alcohol on the front section of my tongue, so we are not talking Blue Label smooth. Under my top lip I get this sensation of an incredible viscosity without the flavours jumping out directly at you. That isn't to say that there isn't alot of flavour in the mouth, there is; it's just that all of the flavours are quite subtle rather than a few being dominant and intense. There is a definate butteriness to the whisky, not dissimilar to the Old Pultney 17 yr Old. It reminds me of Foxes butter Crinkle Crunch biscuits (nice). There is a custardiness to the whisky from those vanilla's; maybe a touch of marzipan, a touch, alongside a very subtle, but still noticeable sherried fruits buzz of currants and rasins. I get hazel nuts as the finish starts to draw in.

Finish: The oak presents itself as a distinct nuttiness, and I enjoy the hazel nutty flavour in my mouth. The other dimension that is noticeable is fruit trifle. The cream, the custard, the fruits in jelly and the biscuity base are all elements from the palate, along with a fruity sherry buzz; and those flavour sensation remain in a fairly long finish alongside those sprinkled hazel nuts.

With Water

Nose: Not too much has changed here. The noticeable difference is a slight element of acetone has grown and the glass is now giving off a more chemically note which is frankly getting in the way of exploring those vapors with I think are all still there; but now more difficult to access. That is not too say that it is unpleasant; just more difficult to effectively explore as every time I pop my nose in the glass I'm getting pear drops smothering everything else.

Palate: So, onto the palate; still a thick, rich, chewy whisky, even more so than before. I previously held back from saying white nougat; but this is now definitely dominated by a pleasant, nutty, white nougat flavour. The whisky almost tastes like you are chewing the nougat (PS. I very much like nougat). Alongside this I get a tasty mouthful of the rich, heavily roast, coffee bean-esque barley grains, that reminds me of Cafe Nero chocolate coated beans. along with mocha coffee, juicy, fruity raspberries with a touch of fresh lime juice squeezed over them, and still that rich vanilla custard.

Finish: The sweetness of the custard and mocha chocolate die down, leaving a drying sensation in the mouth. The maltiness remains, but with a more bitter edge, edge alongside sharper and more tart fruits; maybe gooseberries, but in a good way. I enjoy the way the sweetness changes and the flavours in your mouth evolve. Importantly, nothing tastes unpleasant and is part of a pretty interesting and unusual journey. As I said before, the is whisky is reminiscent of an Old Pultney 17 yr Old; but its also different enough to warrant exploration in its own right.

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