Glenmorange Nectar D'Or

The Nectar D'Or from Glenmorangie is part of their line of "finished" scotches. Glenmorangie takes barrels of scotch that's been aging in industry-standard bourbon barrels, and then puts the whisky into barrels that had previously held different wines. The whisky picks up some of the flavors and aromas from the barrels' previous contents. The Nectar D'Or is finished in barrels that previously held Sauternes, a white dessert wine from Bordeaux in France. The nose is surprisingly assertive, given the generally light and floral nature of Glenmorangie. It's full of oak spice, with some vanilla. The Sauternes cask makes itself felt, thanks to aromas of white wine, ripe citrus fruit, and honey. These flavors complement the whisky's normal smells extremely well. Upon drinking, the oak spice and the lemon and orange notes become more distinct, pushing the honey and vanilla flavors into the background. With a bit of water and some air, the flavors return to the outstanding balance they had on the nose, but with even more complexity. This whisky keeps developing in the glass, as the water accentuates the honey and vanilla while developing the oak spice into ginger and nutmeg. The finish is quite light, but is slightly marred by a hint of bitterness. The bitterness fades relatively quickly, but it does make swallowing slightly less of a pleasure than it should be. Overall, an outstanding single malt that shows how finishing can accentuate and improve on a whisky's natural flavors. This malt's great strengths are its balance and complexity. The only "issues" I have with it are the slight bitterness on the finish, and the fact that the whisky itself is on the light end of the spectrum, which limits its versatility. This is a malt that demands a drinkers' focus to be savored at its best. I'd like to see Glenmorangie give it even more time in the Sauternes casks, which would hopefully bring out more of the honeyed fruit that characterizes great Sauternes. As it is, this is excellent stuff.
18-18.5