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Glenmorangie 10 Year Old - Original

My first chase towards the quest

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@MisterDiggerReview by @MisterDigger

26th Jul 2013

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Glenmorangie 10 Year Old - Original
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  • Finish
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  • Overall
    85

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Okay, start laughing already! How I chose this one is truly unique. After buying a bottle of Johnnie Walker Gold Label 18 and being really impressed, I set out on a quest to find a scotch that was cheaper and "almost as good". Once I knew that JW Gold was mainly Clynelish 14 (which was not cheap), I looked at a map of Highland distilleries. I figured that soil and water were everything in the final product, so I looked to see which distillery was closest to Clynelish and also had affordable bottlings. Voila!!! It was Glenmorangie, so I bought a bottle of 10 year old Original at an entry level bargain price. When I got home, I had to calculate the amount of water to be added to bring it down to 40% ABV like JW Gold. Once things were equal, the taste test began.

Gosh, in just a few days of trying single malt scotches, I had already figured out the TRICK! They tatsed almost similar!! I even proclaimed my results to a bartender, who politely laughed and even bit his lip to avoid going into hysterics. What this newbie here failed to consider was that every new bottle needs to oxidize for a while, and then comparisons can begin. I should have remembered this from my few bottles of Kentucky Spirit Bourbon, one of the most succeptible to oxidation (That one goes from stellar to crap in just one month).

As this bottle of Glenmorangie 10 wore down, it became a love-hate relationship with it. Some days it was too bland, and on others it was worth keeping on hand year round. Decisions, decisions!

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7 comments

@BlueNote
BlueNote commented

@MisterDigger. Is that really a 46% version of the 10 year old Original? What we get here is only 40%. Just curious if a higher strength version is available.

11 years ago 0

@MisterDigger
MisterDigger commented

BlueNote: I vividly remember having to calculate the amout of water to add to this 46% ABV to compare against JW Gold 18 at 40% ABV, because I hate doing such things. The bottle of Glenmorangie 10 was finished off a few weeks ago and not replaced. It was purchased in Louisiana, so ABV values may differ by region shipped to.

11 years ago 0

T
Taco commented

Glenmorangie 10 (now Classic) got me into single malts 30 years ago (I didn't like Glenfiddich 12 at all and barely would drink Glenlivet 12; those were the only SM options then). It's not a spectacular whisky, but quite decent and good for many occasions, especially spring and summer. I always have a bottle around for that reason, and it's a good break from peaty or sherried whiskies. Oh yes, it's also inexpensive!

11 years ago 0

T
Taco commented

Sorry! "Original"!

11 years ago 0

@MisterDigger
MisterDigger commented

Taco: I will wind up buying this one again one day because it is so affordable and easily available at almost any grocery store in my area. Since it is a Highlander, it is not fair for me to compare it with the two most popular and affordable Speysiders, Glenlivet 12 and Glenfiddich 12. And similar to yourself, this was actually the first full bottle of single malt that I ever purchased, and we all have fond memories of our first loves.

11 years ago 0

m
mjmiller commented

Hey! I just happened upon your profile here on the website and you seem to have a very thorough knowledge of scotch.

I'm a young guy, 25 years old, and I really enjoy beer. Not in the sense of let's go get hammered, but let's sip on a seasonal draft and enjoy the flavor. To me the next step would be to get to know scotch in the same way I know and enjoy beer. However, I don't know anything about scotch or bourbon or whisky. I was actually looking up reviews for glenmorangie and saw yours, which led me to comment on your page.

I actually just bought my first single malt scotch yesterday, and can hardly wait for this weekend to crack it open. It was kind of an impulse buy, and I got a cheap brand which I'm very anxious to try and a little scared...lol. It was Speyburn 10-Year.

What tips or brands do you think I should try to better enjoy scotch? I guess one could say I'm looking for a drinking mentor here.

On a side note, I am a teacher, which means probably things that are affordable. Maybe 50-60$ at the most, preferable in the 30-40$ range (or less).

Thanks!

Matt

11 years ago 0

@MisterDigger
MisterDigger commented

Matt:

Check my reviews, but dollar for dollar, I think that Aberlour 12 is the best for the money. Anything over $70 is not recommended for the novice and anything less than $36 could be a waste of money. You need to find your favorite region with all of these reviews as your guidance. After you have tried a few, find a reviewer whose taste is similar. I happen to like heavily sherried Speysiders, but had a brief appreciation for the highly rated peated Islays.

10 years ago 0