Glenmorangie, the original

Highland single malt Scotch whisky
10 years old, 40% alcohol

I’m excited to finally publish the first whisky review from whiskyonthesofa.de. I’ve been drinking whisky for about five years now and I wasn’t sure how or, indeed, with which whisky to kick it all off with. At the time of writing, pubs and bars in Berlin sadly remain shut due to the Coronavirus pandemic, with no real end in sight. Therefore, for the foreseeable future, reviews will be carried out from the comfort of my sofa. To help get my creative juices flowing, I will likely be listening to a bit of music while drinking, in which case I’ll try to make a note of what I’m listening to.

I am one of a fair few Brits living in Berlin. A lot of them come over here because they are attracted to the ‘poor but sexy’ image of this fascinating city. That’s not really true for me. I’m just here because that’s where my wife lives and I decided to join her in 2015. When the Brexit agreement was finally signed (whenever that was), I started to realise this could affect me in many ways: for example, would I still be able to reside and work here comfortably without feeling I was in a constant battle against unbearable and unnecessary bureaucracy? and would I still be able to buy Scotch whisky at a reasonable price? I naturally panicked and bought five bottles of whisky in quick succession. One of these was Glenmorangie’s ‘the original’. I had sampled this whisky at the first whisky-tasting event I attended back in 2016 and it stood out then as something that actually tasted really nice. I was, of course, a complete beginner but this whisky seemed to me to be particularly ‘drinkable’ compared to some of the others. I’ve seen it on pub top shelves a few times since and have enjoyed a glass or two with friends at the end of a night out. I’ve never been disappointed.

There is just so much choice when it comes to whisky. For this reason I had a bit of a thing about not buying bottles of whiskies I’d already tried. This was my attempt to keep things interesting by always trying something new and gradually working my way through ‘all the whiskies’. I have since accepted that this is unrealistic and that you should certainly revisit and buy good whiskies again and again. This is why I bought another bottle of ‘the original’ as one of my five Brexit panic buys. I was keen to revisit something that had been a favourite of mine at the beginning.

I’ve never reviewed anything before in my life so I really hope I can achieve something that is both informative and entertaining. I find that most people, when writing reviews, try to use a certain style to make it look like they are far more knowledgeable about a subject than they actually are. This only serves to make the reader feel excluded, especially if they are just starting out in that particular subject and are keen to find informative and helpful guidance. I’m just not a fan of this exclusivity and I don’t think people should be using online reviews to try to show off their own knowledge. I find it far more interesting just to hear somebody’s honest opinion of the thing they’re reviewing. Anyway, this is all part of my aim to navigate the bullshit and snobbery that serves to confuse and alienate. But that’s the end of my mission statement. Let’s get on with it and drink some whisky. Feel free to pour yourself a glass and drink along at home.

The whisky is poured and has been sitting in the glass for a few minutes and it’s almost time to have the first sip. I should point out that I drink my whisky from a crystal tumbler. I know you’re supposed to drink from a nosing glass, especially when reviewing a whisky, but this is a problem for me for a couple of reasons. Firstly, I don’t have a nosing glass. Secondly, my wife bought me a beautiful set of crystal tumblers for my birthday one year and she would be offended if she saw me drinking out of anything else. I’ve tried drinking out of nosing glasses before and I just don’t really like the feel of them. They’re not quite heavy enough in the hand. A tumbler is, for me, a much more comfortable choice. Plus I have quite a big nose which literally fills up a nosing glass - sometimes the end of my nose takes a dip in the whisky if it’s a generously-filled glass. Anyway the point I’m trying to make is just to drink out of whatever you like - who gives a shit?

I realise I’ve been going on a bit and we still haven’t tried any whisky. I’m just trying to set the scene and make sure I’ve disclosed everything of importance before we get started. But now it is definitely time for the first sip. According to the bottle, this whisky balances honeyed sweetness with notes of citrus, almonds and creamy vanilla, for a rounded complexity and enticing smoothness. Parts of this statement smell a little bit like bullshit to me and I can’t honestly say I am experiencing all of that, but the phrase ‘rounded complexity and enticing smoothness’ is certainly open to interpretation. What I do get is a smell that reminds me of pears or, to be more exact, pear drop sweets. I can also pick up some citrus, maybe some orange. It’s definitely fruity, but I wouldn’t say it’s particularly complex. Whenever I drink whisky I always find that the sensation of alcohol is overwhelming in the first sip of the first glass, so I always make sure the first sip is a very small one, just enough to get some alcohol on my lips, tongue and the inside of my mouth.

The first ‘proper’ sip is really nice and I can see where the bit about ‘enticing smoothness’ comes from - it is very smooth! And when I say ‘smooth’, I mean you can have a sip and it is really easy to drink. It doesn’t hurt, burn or offend. It is just very nice. I leave it in my mouth for a few seconds to warm up. In this way the taste works it’s way around my mouth and, as it mixes with the saliva, its texture changes to become like a warm whisky soup. As I swallow the whisky, the stand-out characteristic is the incredible smoothness, which really is a good thing. The taste I’m getting is of fresh fruit and a little sweetness. But it’s a fruity, fresh sweetness. It’s not rich in any way and there is nothing savoury, smoky or overly complex. It’s really refreshing to the extent that, as soon as the taste of the first sip has faded away, I immediately want another one. I remember why I found this whisky so good five years ago - it’s smooth, refreshing, uncomplicated and extremely easy to drink. This is a whisky I have tried quite a few times now and it always tastes the same. I find it amazing that they can achieve that consistency in taste but somehow they manage it.

Another thing that I think it’s worth considering when buying a bottle of whisky is how it actually looks. I know this isn’t important to some people as the most important thing is how it tastes but, if I am spending quite a few Euros on something that I want to enjoy, then I also want it to look the part. I like going into the whisky shop and seeing the different bottle shapes and branding styles. I like the way the Glenmorangie whiskies are branded. They’re not overly pretentious and just stick to fairly simple, traditional labelling with all the important information clearly visible. Yeah there’s a bit of a history lesson and some extra information on the back of the box but I don’t mind that so much and it’s not in your face. One thing I do notice on the box is that this whisky has added colouring. I suppose this lets it down a little but I can understand why this is done as part of achieving product consistency in terms of look and taste.

This bottle of whisky cost me just under 30€, which, in my opinion, makes it very reasonably-priced. It means I can buy a bottle, open it and have a drink without having that feeling that I should only be drinking it on a special occasion (as I would do with a bottle that cost 50€ or more). When friends come round to visit I would happily get this bottle out knowing that everyone will enjoy it and I would have no concerns about drinking the bottle dry as I know I could just buy another without having to break the bank. Therefore I think this is a whisky I will probably come back to again and again, as I know it can be relied on and is unlikely to disappoint. It stood out among the competition when I first started drinking whisky and, five years later, it still tastes just as good. If you do decide to give it a try, I hope you have as good an experience with it as I have had.

Score: 8/10

Reviewed by Peter on 02 May, 2021

While drinking I was listening to ‘Us and us only’ by the Charlatans.