Glen Moray releases Bourbon-inspired Scotch
Speyside distillery Glen Moray has added an “American twist” to its portfolio with the launch of a “sweet and smooth” 10-year-old single malt Scotch whisky.
According to the brand, the new expression is inspired by the growing popularity of Bourbon and the “success of sweeter flavours”. Glen Moray Fired Oak has been matured for 10 years in ex-Bourbon casks before being finished for 10 months in heavily charred virgin American oak casks – the same as those used to mature Bourbon. Master distiller Graham Coull used a 2008 vintage Glen Moray Elgin Classic as the base for the new spirit, and used a “precise firing regime to achieve exactly the right level of char” inside the cask. The whisky is said to be sweeter than other single malts in Glen Moray’s collection, with “layers of vanilla bark” and a “hint of smokiness and toasted vanilla” on the finish. “Fired Oak is all about enhancing flavours rather than adding different character,” said Coull. "The virgin oak intensifies the existing vanilla and spice flavours which have come from the ex-Bourbon barrels. “Two elements are key – quality of cask and timing; both are crucial to obtaining just the right flavour infusion. To create a balance I have selected virgin oak casks with differing lengths of finish to ensure that the final whisky is consistent.” Glen Moray Fired Oak is bottled at 40% abv and has an RRP of £39 (US$50). This latest launch follows the release of Glen Moray Cider Cask Project, the first expression in the brand's Elgin Curiosity Range.
