Glenmorangie has undergone a quiet expansion in branding over recent years. Eschewing the dark wood tones and lofty Highland landscape photos plastered over the marketing boxes, websites and social media of other distilleries, Glenmorangie infused newer releases with bold color palates and creative stories. This is an unashamed move to appeal to segments of the population who might not have considered single malt scotch beforehand or who considered the drink too stuffy, infusing it with a sense of fun and whimsy. The Tale of Cake is the brainchild of Dr. Bill Lumsden, Director of Distilling for Glenmorangie and Ardbeg, and is meant to evoke a “cake moment”, or rather the sense of joy and savoriness he associated with cake at various point in his life. The ex-Tokaji casks this limited edition is finished in are a Hungarian dessert wine.
Clynelish Reserve: Game of Thrones Edition
Founded in 1819, Clynelish has been operating nearly uninterrupted for over two hundred years, even when it was known for a time as Brora distillery. Though it produced single malts early on, almost all the distillery’s output has been a primary highland component to some of current owner Diageo’s Johnnie Walker series. Maybe because new single malts are rarely seen from this distillery, the Clynelish Reserve was seen as a standout when Diageo released a Game of Thrones set in early 2019 to celebrate the hit show’s final season. There is no age statement or anything to stand it apart like cask finishing.
Dalmore Port Wood Reserve
Almost all distilleries trade on a sense of history and tradition – for good reason – in association with their craft and their whisky. A smaller selection of brands are lucky enough to have a towering figurehead behind their iconic malts. Dalmore has Master Distiller Richard Paterson, who is a leader in cask curation. Specifically, a long association with sherry bodega and wine industry giant González Byass has resulted in a collection of unique casks to age the distillery’s whisky. Sherry casks are not the only ones in use, however. The Dalmore Port Wood Reserve is one of the few non-age statement offerings in the brand’s principle collection. Dalmore owner Whyte & Mackay also owns the Jura and Fettercairn distilleries, along with other spirit brands.