Tain-based whisky distillery Glenmorangie launches experimental single malt A Tale of the Forest using barley kilned with woodland botanicals with collaboration with illustrator Pomme Chan
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AN EASTER Ross whisky distillery has launched a new experimental single malt made by using woodland botanicals to kiln the barley.
A Tale of the Forest is the new release by Tain-based Glenmorangie, one of the world's most popular single malts.
The bottling is Glenmorangie’s first whisky ever crafted from barley kilned with woodland botanicals and Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr Bill Lumsden, aimed to evoke the scents, sounds and sights of the forest in this whisky.
He said: “Every time I go into the woods where I live, I notice something new, be it the fragrance of last night’s rainfall or the sound of leaves rustling a particular way. I began to imagine how we could bring the forest to life in a whisky, by kilning barley with materials from woodland, the way our ancestors did. After many experiments, we fell in love with the flavours brought by juniper, birch bark and heather, to create a Glenmorangie as lush and leafy as the forest itself. With aromas of pine needles, woodland moss, juniper’s sharpness, and tastes of eucalyptus, mint, bitter orange and distant smoke, A Tale of the Forest is a whisky to surround, delight and surprise you, whether you enjoy it deep in a forest or in cocktails at home.”
A few years ago Dr Lumsden recalled how ancient Highland whisky makers dried their barley with all kinds of forest fuel and began experimenting by kilning barley with different botanicals discovering the various flavours which juniper berries, birch bark and heather flowers could bring when married with peat. This created a batch of spirit with aromas of pine needles and juniper and wisps of smoke, which was the aged in bourbon casks.
The launch involved also a collaboration with Thai illustrator Pomme Chan, who created her own fantastical forest, which inspires the packaging’s design.
Ms Chan said: “I’m so excited to be collaborating with Glenmorangie for this delicious limited edition. To me, a forest is all about the senses – the fragrance, as well as what you see and hear. Through my illustration, I wanted to convey the mysterious depth of the forest as well as the botanicals and flavours you can find in the whisky: heather, juniper, orange mint... I hope the pack draws people in and invites them to imagine themselves enjoying Glenmorangie A Tale of Forest on a hike or a picnic... in a forest, of course!”
Glenmorangie A Tale of the Forest is available from today (September 22) and on their website you can find Pomme Chan’s artwork and discover a selection of botanical Glenmorangie cocktails created by renowned Swedish forager and mixologist Emil Åreng.
