Despite being owned by blenders, MacDonald & Muir, for most of the 20th century, Glenmorangie had an early focus on bottling its single malt. Some records show that its single malt was being sold as early as the late 19th century. This became the distillery’s main output in 1959, and with the unique flavours derived from Scotland’s smallest stills, coupled with their pioneering use of wood finishing, Glenmorangie is now one of the world’s biggest selling malts. As a result, the distillery portfolio over the years has been extensive, and little has been spared for independent bottlers.

The forward-thinking Glenmorangie approach to wood finishes is in full display here. Distilled in 1978, this was matured for 12 years in American white oak and finished for a further 5 years in a wine cask from Tain L’Hermitage in the Rhone Valley.