Things I Really Drink: Glenmorangie 18 year old (versus Glenmorangie 18 year old)

Bottled in a comically heavy glass weapon, and secured within a giant casket, Glenmorangie 18 year old posses the name Extremely Rare, the silliest sub-appellation since Mortlach Rare Old. But the 18 year old whisky has been reliable in the past, so I bought a 2021 bottling of the stuff and have since consumed the amber fluid that looks superfluous within its packaging:

Not only did I save a few ounces of the EXTREMELY RARE Glenmo, but I also unearthed a pre-2007 mini of the old 18 year old:

So you're getting a twofer here. One TIRD and a Taste Off.

Here are the details:

Distillery: Glenmorangie
Ownership: Louis Vuitton Moet-Hennessy (the accents and umlauts are on a smoke break)
Region: Highlands (Northern)
Age: at least 18 years
Maturation: 70% spent 18 years in American oak + 30% with 15 years in American oak & 3 years in oloroso casks
Alcohol by Volume: 43%
Chill-filtered? Yes
e150a? Yes

And here is the:

Tain Twain

Glenmorangie 18 year old bottled 2021	Glenmorangie 18 year old bottled pre-2007
The nose starts off with apples, cinnamon, saline and minerals, with lemon zest and concrete in the background. Hints of vanilla, roses and circus peanuts arise after a while. The fresh apples turn baked as well, with some brown sugar sprinkled on top.	Farm, yeast, pears and mead in the nose, reminding me of yesterday's 39yo Glenglassaugh. Slightly leafy as well, with a hint of white peaches. After 30 minutes it gains toasted almonds, pineapple and papaya.
A decent blend of tart and bitter, mixed with toasted oak and tobacco, arrives in the early palate. Lemons, citrons and green bananas later. It gets oakier with time.	Some OBE-esque dust and metal shows up in the palate, but it remains beneath the lemons, chile oil and toffee.
It finishes with sweet citrus, bitter citrus and vanilla, though it never gets too tannic.	The finish keeps the lemons and chiles, while also finding a hint of coal smoke.

WORDS WORDS WORDS

The older 18's nose was, by far, the highlight of the night. In fact it had me pondering if I had enough stupid money to track down a 700/750mL bottle. While the palate did not (could not?) match the sniffer, it did offer a sensory connection to the current bottling. They felt related there. The older version comes out on top due to its lighter oak and touch of something peated, in addition to the super nose. The 2021 batch reads perfectly produced for a contemporary palate, thanks to its citrus, vanilla, and determination not to rankle. So the blending team hit the mark, but also created something that's forgotten as soon as the glass is empty. Consider that before buying a bottle.

On one final note, I would like to thank LVMH for designing the perfect sized burial box for my daughters' stuffed animals. There is currently a closed-casket service underway for one unfortunate critter, or maybe seven. But never fear, they will walk again.

RATINGS:
Glenmorangie 18 year old Extremely Rare (2021) - 84

Glenmorangie 18 year old (pre-2007) - 87