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To mark the tenth anniversary of the Highland distillery’s Private Edition series, Glenmorangie introduces the tenth release in the award-winning collection, Glenmorangie Allta, the first single malt whisky created from yeast growing wild on the distillery’s own barley.
Glenmorangie Allta (Scots Gaelic for ‘wild’ and pronounced ‘al-ta’) reveals the often-overlooked importance of yeast and its impact on flavor in the whisky making process. With a background in yeast physiology, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, Dr. Bill Lumsden, remained aware of yeast’s potential. Years ago, he recalled a little-known story the late, great whisky writer Michael Jackson had told him, about a unique “house” yeast Glenmorangie was said to have possessed – which inspired Dr. Bill to explore wild yeast’s effect on Glenmorangie’s spirit.
Dr. Bill collected a few ears of Cadboll barley in the fields near the distillery and after analysis in the laboratory, he discovered Saccharomyces diaemath, a species of wild yeast unidentified until that point. He arranged for the yeast to be cultivated and brought it together with the distillery’s barley in the whisky-making process. Then, he transferred this spirit into superior ex-bourbon barrels, including many second-fill casks, to showcase the fruity character given by the yeast. The rich, creamy whisky which emerged years later, achieves a balanced spectrum of aroma, taste and texture using whiskies of various ages.
Glenmorangie Allta is non-chill filtered and bottled at 51.2% ABV and will be sold at $99 a bottle.
