Glenmorangie: The Original and Quinta Ruban

With so many options out there for whisky it’s always hard to know which ones you are actually going to like and not like if you’ve never tried them before. If I am out for dinner or out in the city, I always look at the list of whisky, whiskey and bourbons, if there is something I haven’t had before I will give it a try. However that’s not how I always try new whisky, one thing I love to get are recommendations. A recommendation from two lovely ladies is exactly what I got for today’s post. Thank you Fiona and Whitney!

Glenmorangie is a Highland single malt whisky. One of the things that stuck out to me the most when I was sharing a dram of The Original with Fiona, was that she noted that she didn’t like strong whiskies but love this one because it was on the sweeter side and wasn’t too harsh. I tend to agree with her, this whisky is definitely on the sweeter side. For any ladies out there or guys looking to try a sweeter whisky then this one might definitely be a good try for you.

The Original:

Smell: Citrus and fruity
Taste: It’s a whisky lighter than most others I’ve tried. It was sweet, fruity with hints of vanilla

Now the Quinta Ruban is slightly stronger but it is just as sweet as The Original. Both the Original and the Ruban are matured in American Oak casks; however the Quinta Ruban is then transferred to port pipes from Portugal to mature even longer. This process certainly separates the two. You can also tell the difference in the colors they have. The Original is a pale golden color while the Ruban is a deeper golden hue. The final differences are in the taste and smell.

The Quinta Ruban:

Smell: Sweet, spicy and woodsy
Taste: Smooth with a slight burn. I could make out hints of port steaming from the port pipes. To me it had also notes of spice.

If you were to ask me which one I’d prefer, I’d go with the Ruban just because it is slightly more complex and has a lot more notes to make out, although both are very good whiskies.

If you are looking to buy, the average cost for The Original is about $40-$50, while the Ruban is slightly higher at about $45-$55. For whisky, these are actually fairly priced. Now another way you can get these two is in a miniature gift set that include about four of their whiskies to try. It's a good way to give a gift, or keep to try yourself. 

So, if you are looking for something sweet to try this holiday season I’d recommend you give this one a try. It’s a great whisky to have in hand while cooking a delicious turkey meal.

Now if any of you out there have any other recommendations for me, please drop me a line on the comments sections and I will certainly do my best to try it.

Cheers!