Glenmorangie’s Tale Of series turns to Ice Cream

Moët Hennessy-owned Glenmorangie has released the fifth expression in its Tale Of series, which aims to ‘encapsulate the delights’ of an ice cream parlour.

A Tale of Ice Cream is the latest limited edition bottling in the Highland distillery’s ‘imaginative’ series, with the team turning to the ‘irresistible’ flavours of an ice cream parlour menu to create the expression. Dr Bill Lumsden, director of whisky creation at Glenmorangie, said: “Ice cream is an irresistible indulgence and – inspired by the flavours you might find on an ice cream parlour menu – we imagined creating a whisky of melting decadence and lavish swirls of flavour.” Speaking to The Spirits Business, Glenmorangie master blender Gillian Macdonald explained that to bring the flavours of ice cream to the fore of this new release, the team opted to ‘dial up’ the vanilla notes found within the brand’s spirit, as well as its ripe peach and coconut hints: “We had the opportunity through a couple of our suppliers to purchase some unusual casks that promised to dial up specific flavours and characteristics, due to the way that they had been heat treated, allowing us to accentuate those vanilla aspects,” she said. “We then committed some whisky that had been sitting in Bourbon barrels so it was already very vanilla-y anyway, and then added that into these casks to finish, and that's where it really accentuated those vanilla flavours.” Dr Lumsden added: “By ageing Glenmorangie in Bourbon and high-vanillin casks we have deliciously magnified our whisky’s sweetest, creamiest side. With notes of peach melba, lemon sorbet, coconut flakes and rich vanilla, sipping Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream is like sinking your spoon into a carousel of flavour. We invite whisky lovers old and new to indulge their sweet tooth and enjoy this ultimate treat.” Experiential release Macdonald noted that the Tale Of series, and especially this latest release, offers Glenmorangie the chance to connect with its consumers on an emotional, experiential level. “Everyone has an ice cream memory – It's very evocative. It reminds me of specific holidays, and I've yet to meet anybody who doesn't really like ice cream, so I can only imagine it's going to be a hit.” A Tale of Ice Cream is a no-age-statement expression that has been bottled at 46% ABV. Macdonald explained that Glenmorangie purposefully excludes an age-statement from the series to allow consumers to focus on the flavour. “The Tale Of series is more about the storytelling aspect and bringing it more to life," she said. "It’s a fun and quite frivolous series, as well, so we're trying to not put in some of the traditional cues that people sometimes look for ­– even the way it's packaged, its not what you'd expect a whisky to be looking like, so again, it just makes sense to us to not put an age on there.” A Tale of Ice Cream joins A Tale of Cake, A Tale of Winter, A Tale of the Forest, and last year’s release, A Tale of Tokyo, in the series. Glenmorangie A Tale of Ice Cream is now available to purchase online at glenmorangie.com, at the distillery visitor centre in Tain, and at select retailers for an RRP of £76 (US$101). In addition, a limited number of A Tale of Ice Cream-themed lambswool sweaters, designed by Scottish knitwear designer Donna Wilson, will also be available to purchase at the visitor centre.