Glenmorangie Nectar D’Òr 12-Year (Sauternes Cask Finish)
46% ABV - Highlands
Nose: Sweetness, with sugary-caramelized light fruits come fast. Grasses, honey, lemon, and fresh grapes follow. Over time I noticed a slight minerality or grape skin note.
Taste: Thick, rich, and sweet. Cooked apples, bundles of fruit, tall grass, burnt orange, and roasted nuts. Slight bitter element – possibly citrus rind?
Finish: Medium-short and clean. There is a light Pinot Blanc character with mild spices, ginger, and light white-fleshed fruits.
I have been working my way through this bottle so quickly that it jumped the review queue. It’s not too much longer until it hits the recycling bin! It is completely approachable, a great whisky to introduce new whisky drinkers to, and a great whisky to offer any seasoned whisky drinker.
This is undeniably the prettiest packaging for the core Glenmorangie releases, and with it, unsurprisingly, the biggest price of admission. Interestingly, finding the 12-year age statement on the bottle label is difficult when compared to the Lasanta (Sherry Cask Finish) and Quinta Ruban (Port Cask Finish)–yes, the latter now sporting a 14-year age statement. Even with the new packaging, the age statement on the Nectar D’Òr (Sauternes Cask Finish) plays second stage as… wait a minute… checks Google images... this expression has dropped its age statement for the new packaging! (For reference, the bottle that I have, which I guess is now the "older-style" label, has a date of 12/02/2019 stamped on it.) I can only assume this was planned to happen with the new labels; really it is quite clever to make the 12-year barely visible for a number of years. Then, disappearing without notice to all but the discerning drinker (and probably the multiple articles detailing this that I failed to notice).
Call me a long time drinker, and first time purchaser of Glenmorangie Nectar D’Òr. I bought this to share at a safely distanced gathering of friends and family this summer, and it was a big hit. If you are looking for a nice celebration sipper without breaking the bank, then it’s definitely worth considering. Did I mention the fancy box? (This review was not endorsed by the Glenmorangie box; all views and opinions are of my own.)
Tasting Notes (Official): Aroma: Lime and orange rind, sultanas and dates give a rich fruity flavour laced with tantalising spices of coconut and nutmeg. Taste: Ginger, nutmeg and toasted almonds bring a deep, warming taste interwoven with a syrupy lemon meringue and honeycomb middle. Finish: Long a lusciously sweet finish with lemon zest, white chocolate, vanilla and traces of ginger and nutmeg.
Tasted 13 October 2020. (Posted 14 October 2020.)
