There’s a moment when you step into a spice market—Marrakesh, Istanbul, Mumbai—and the air seems to thicken with color. Golds, reds, ochres, browns, and behind them an aromatic chaos of cumin, saffron, and ginger. It’s this multisensory overwhelm that Glenmorangie has tried to bottle in its newest release, A Tale of Spices, the sixth edition in the distillery’s award-winning “A Tale Of…” series.
A New Chapter in Glenmorangie’s “A Tale Of…” Series
For more than 180 years, Glenmorangie has cultivated a reputation for refinement balanced with restless curiosity. Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden MBE and his team are known for pursuing inspirations that border on whimsical—an ice-cream parlor, a snowstorm, a childhood memory—and translating them into whisky. In A Tale of Spices, that creative instinct turns outward, toward the crowded, fragrant lanes of the world’s spice bazaars.
The Experiment: Four Casks, One Whisky
This release marks a first for Glenmorangie: the marriage of spirit finished in four different cask types. At its base lies bourbon-aged Glenmorangie, elegant and citrus-forward, but then things begin to travel. Moroccan red wine casks, never before used at the distillery, bring aromatic, mouth-watering spice. New charred oak casks deepen the layers of heat. Shaved and toasted red wine casks contribute a subtler fruitiness, while Pedro Ximénez sherry casks round the Scotch with syrupy sweetness.
The result is a composition that does not erase Glenmorangie’s signature delicacy but refracts it—like light through stained glass—into something spiced, perfumed, and altogether new.
Tasting Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices
According to the distillery, the whisky brims with ginger, saffron, nutmeg, cumin, and chilli, balanced by floral whispers of rose and jasmine. There are sugared almonds here, a flicker of eucalyptus, and beneath it all the earthy richness of oak and sherry. The finish is lingering, dynamic, layered in a way that encourages revisiting—like walking once more through a spice market only to notice stalls you missed the first time.
Even the packaging joins the story: a presentation box painted in a mosaic of vibrant hues, meant to evoke the conical pyramids of spice powders found in North African souks.
The Creator’s Vision
“I’ve always loved the variety of colours and aromas in spice markets,” said Dr Bill. “Years ago, Master Blender Gillian Macdonald and I experimented with Moroccan red wine casks and were captivated by the fragrant notes they gave our whisky. From there, we layered in new charred oak, PX sherry, and shaved, toasted red wine casks. Each sip of this limited edition is like immersing yourself in the sensory delights of a spice market—with new flavours and aromas at every turn.”
Availability and Price
Glenmorangie A Tale of Spices will be available beginning this September at the distillery’s visitor centre in Tain and online at the brand’s official website.
Previous editions of Glenmorangie’s A Tale of Series include A Tale Of Ice Cream, A Tale of Tokyo, A Tale of the Forest, A Tale Of Winter, and A Tale of Cake.
