Dec. 19: Drammers Tasting in Ames......
Hello Ames and Des Moines Drammers!
On Dec. 19th at 7pm, Drammers Club is proud to present a very special Scotch tasting at the London Underground bar in Ames (address: 212 Main St, Ames, IA 50010). The event includes light food (included in your ticket). We'll be tasting through 7 different expressions of Glenmorangie, Highland Single Malt Scotch -- some very rare, and three of them are brand new releases!
Our guest speaker is one of the most sought-after guest speakers in the industry: Glenmorangie’s National Brand Ambassador, Dan Crowell. He is one of only 5 people in the world to be certified as a Master of Scotch by the Council of Whisky Masters. Here's what we'll be tasting:
Signet - Arguably this is the signature achievement of Glenmorangie’s head of whisky creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden. To make this whisky, they heavily roast the barley, what roasters call “chocolate malt” (the heavy roast aroma always reminds me of walking into family run coffee shops as a kid). When you distill that barley into Scotch, the results are dark mocha notes that are wildly different than your usual Scotch whisky - so much so, that when they first created it, the Scotch Whisky Association questioned whether it was so different, it ought not be allowed to say “Scotch” on the label. They left the door open for Glenmorangie to make a presentation why it should be permitted, and Glenmorangie’s team presented evidence that historically some distilleries had accidentally burnt the barley, and for cost reasons ended up using the distillate anyway, which proved to be enough of a justification for the SWA to allow it. Thus Signet was born. It is some special Scotch whisky, and at approximately $300/bottle, it’s a rare treat. 46% abv
Glenmorangie 18yo - This is part of Glenmorangie’s Prestige Range. This 18 year old single malt Scotch spent its first 15 years in American white oak bourbon casks. After the initial 15 years, 30% was transferred to Oloroso sherry casks, while the other 70% remained in bourbon casks, and 3 years later they were combined to create this expression - a thick, creamy and fruity single malt. And now that the expression has been discontinued, it’s even more rare.
Quinta Ruban 14yo - As we continue to work our way up the age statement range, we'll next try this expression, aged in a mix of bourbon and PORT casks, making for a particularly sweet dram. Here we'll be on the lookout for more dark chocolate and peppermint notes.
Lasanta 1`2yo - Sherry cask Glenmo! This whisky is Dr Bill’s attempt to bottle the magic of sunset, with its endless horizon of reds, oranges and purples. The Lasanta takes their famously fruity spirit (courtesy of their giraffe-high stills) and then matures it in bourbon and sherry casks for 12 years. The result is both spicy and sweet.
Nectar D'Or - Next we'll try one of their most celebrated expressions -- here their whisky is aged in bourbon barrels for 10 years, and then another 2 years of finishing in Sauternes wine casks. According to Whiskey Advocate "the nose offers apricots in syrup, honey, walnuts, and ripe green grapes, while the oily palate yields citrus fruits and honeyed cereal notes, along with white pepper and wood spice. The finish is long and oaky, with a fleeting return of apricots." This one has won a LOT of awards.
Original 10yo — This was the flagship for the distillery for over 70 years, and made up over 50% of the whiskey they sold, so it was slightly shocking when they announced a couple months ago that they were going to discontinue this expression and replace it with a new "Original" 12yo! What on earth happened? We'll get into all that at the tasting, with a breakdown of what changed, what remained the same, and why this happened after so many years!
Original 12yo — This is another new release from Glenmorangie, and a bit of a shocking one — after decades of holding up their iconic Original 10 year as their ultimate flagship expression, they have just replaced it with a new “Original 12”. As the name implies, it’s aged an additional 2 years, making for a slightly more complex whisky. What should fans of the Original 10 expect? How does flavor profile change with the new release? And why did they change their most iconic release? We’ll get into all that with their National Brand Ambassador at this tasting.
That’s our lineup, we hope you can join us!
For this event, we will order in light food, which is included (likely pizza) to try to ensure that nobody is drinking on an empty stomach — if anyone attending has any dietary restrictions (gluten free, dairy free etc.), please let us know. And, as always, we strongly discourage anyone from driving home. Please let us know if you have any questions!
Drammers is a global whisky and spirits club that hosts regular in-person events in 63 cities around the world, plus online events and group trips, and it features one of the most robust single barrel programs in the world, with over 100 single barrels currenly available to members. More information about our club is available at www.Drammers.com.