Glenmorangie Scotch Single Malt Lasanta

In 1738, a brewery was built upon Morangie Farm in the Highlands region of Scotland. A century later, William Matheson acquired the farm and equipped the Morangie brewery with two stills that he purchased second-hand, and renamed the brewery-converted-distillery Glenmorangie.

Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky is made using malted barley, which is mashed and fermented with water sourced from the Tarlogie Spring. The water produced from the spring, which spends nearly a century underground being filtered through layers of limestone before it is extracted, is unusually rich in minerals. In the 1980's, when development in the area threatened the spring's water quality, Glenmorangie purchased 600 acres of land around the spring in order to ensure a consistent and everlasting supply.

After the barley has been fermented, the wash is twice distilled through Glenmorangie's copper-pot stills by a team of 16 distillers known as the Sixteen Men of Tain. Glenmorangie's stills are equipped with relatively small boiler pots, which increases the exposure of the whisky to the copper, resulting in a more pure flavor. In addition, the stills are nearly seventeen feet tall - the tallest of any distillery in Scotland - and as a result, produce a lighter, more refined whisky.

Following distillation, Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky is aged for a minimum of ten years in casks that were previously used to mature bourbon. After its decade-long beautyrest, the single malt is double-barreled, or finished, for an additional two years in casks that were previously used to mature Oloroso Sherry. Oloroso Sherry is a type of fortified wine from Spain known for its dark and nutty flavors. "The word Lasanta is a Scottish Galeic word that means warmth for passion," says Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie's Master of Whisky Creation. "It gives you a clue to the rich, warm and spicy flavors" found in Glenmorangie Lasanta.

Glenmorangie Lasanta 12 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky has a rich, mahogany color along with an aroma of citrus, herbs and chocolate. The aroma gives way to notes of sweet sherry, caramelized oranges, walnuts and toffee on the palate. The finish is long and satisfying, with touches of almonds, spiced oranges and cloves.

The whisky earned the Double Gold Medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition in 2010 and 2013. In addition, it earned a score of 93 points from Wine Enthusiast, which called the whisky a "reward with mouthwatering spicy notes of clove, cassia bark and a hint of orange peel."