Glenmorangie Ealanta: WhiskyCritic Top Whisky Of The Year For 2013

Any whisky hidden away for 19 years either has a good reason it is hidden or somebody forgot they had hidden it. In the case of Glenmorangie Ealanta whisky, it may have been a little of both but more of the former. Glenmorangie Ealanta was hidden away for those 19 years at the famed Glenmorangie Distillery in Tain, Scotland, and when it emerged, it immediately garnered high praise from nearly everyone who has come into close contact with it, including WhiskyCritic, as we have declared Glenmorangie Ealanta to be the WhiskyCritic Top Whisky Of The Year for 2013. The whisky had been aged in virgin white oak barrels from Missouri and then hidden away within the distillery to avoid mistakenly blending it with other sub-par substances. Glenmorangie Ealanta [Gaelic for “skilled and ingenious”] was liberated from its American barrels “three or four years ago” according to the Glenmorangie master distiller, Bill Lumsden, and then sat around at the distillery while Lumsden determined in which year it would reach its tasting peak. That year was 2013 and Glenmorangie has released it as part of its private edition set. The single malt Ealanta is said to have an aroma of toffee, butterscotch and vanilla with we found it to expose the strong essence of vanilla after relaxing for 20 minutes in the glass, at which point it coyly reveals a taste and smoothness that reminds us of an exquisitely aged tequila. Whereas many high-end whiskies tend to make your mouth feel like its sucking on a piece of wood, not so with Glenmorangie Ealanta. It’s special. It’s also a whisky that inspires conversation.
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A bottle of Glenmorangie Ealanta is priced in the $120 range.