Glenmorangie’s $900 ‘Grand Vintage’ Scotch is Aged in Rare Bordeaux Barrels

This baller bottle could become the crown jewel of your bar cart.

One of the world’s most famous wine-producing regions helped shape the release of Glenmorangie’s newest top-shelf scotch. 

The Grand Vintage Malt 1997 spent the first decade of its 23-year-old development aging in bourbon casks to bring out citrus notes imparted thanks to the Highland distillery’s giraffe-high stills—extra space allows for more taste and aroma, according to Glenmorangie.

But Glenmorangie master distiller Dr. Bill Lumsden, who holds a PhD in Fermentation Science from the International Centre for Brewing and Distilling, got creative by finishing the expression for 13 years in rare red wine casks from Bordeuax’s Château Montrose, which provided an extremely  limited amount of its “berried” wood. 

Here are the official tasting notes: 

• Color: Deep Ochre
• Aroma: Astonishing, perfumed and fruity complexity. Floral notes of rose, jasmine and carnation intermingle with soft red fruits, mint toffee, pastry or cake mix and a sweet confectionery top note. With water, even more soft, floral top notes like roses and carnations emerge, with a very subtle spiciness like sweet chilli, clove and ginger.
• Taste: A slightly tingly, gently spicy mouthfeel is followed by a symphony of sweet candy flavors, more soft red fruits, pineapple chunks and a taste reminiscent of pears and mandarin segments in fruit jelly. There are sweet ginger and chili notes, gentle almond marzipan and vanilla toffee apple.
• Finish: Sweet, rich, long and gently spicy.  

Grand Vintage Malt 1997 sits in Glenmorangie’s premium Bond House No. 1 series, which takes its name from the largest of the 19th-century Bonded Warehouses. Buy it on ReserveBar for $900 beginning June 1.