Glenmorangie Allta Private Edition no.10 “Wild Yeast”

Glenmorangie Allta Private Edition no.10 “Wild Yeast”

Bottled 2018 at 51.2% abv. Price 400 Shekels

Whilst browsing through the shelves of some specialist liqueur stores in the central region of Israel, I came across this kosher expression a few times. Visiting a store in Netanya and seeing this on special offer, I decided to purchase, what is a real Limited and quite unique edition whisky from a distillery I only visited for the first-time, the year before. Namely, Glenmorangie.

Whenever I visited the very North of Scotland, (that is, past Inverness), I always used to bypass Glenmorangie on the A90 road and simply headed for (in my mind), the more exiting distilleries like Balblair, Clynelish, Pulteney and the most northerly of mainland distilleries, the boutique distillery of Wolfburn. It was only when I travelled up there with my son and daughter-in-law, that we decided to pop in, and I’m very glad we did. The scenery there is breathtakingly beautiful. Whilst the family enjoyed the gardens there, I was fascinated by the industrial cranes, as they manoeuvred into place, three gleamingly new massive copper condensers, bigger than most wash and spirit stills found in other distilleries.

The visitors centre, although exceptionally large and spacious, was nevertheless, rather disappointing. I came looking for some distillery exclusive special edition but everything there was Ex-Sherry/Port/Wine matured, except of course, their standard Original 10-Year-Old (which I have already reviewed). This is really, the reason why I have always bypassed this distillery, as there is little point in visiting a distillery where none of (or in this case), almost none of their expressions are suitable for the Orthodox Jewish customer.

They did however have some beautiful Copita glasses and tops on special offer, and having a lack of proper whisky glasses for a tasting session in a shul I was conducting the week after, upon my return to Essex, I decided to purchase six of them.

I am also well aware that the Dalmore distillery is very near but as they exclusively produce only Ex-Sherry/Wine cask matured single malts, there is little point.

As a side point, it’s an interesting halachic discussion as to whether an Orthodox Jew can visit such a place. The answer is, (according to two poskim I have asked), is that it’s perfectly permissible although there could be a problem if you dafka organise a “Kosher” tour specifically to a distillery that exclusively only produces heavily sherried whisky, with the intention of sampling their products. Many people do not realise that these “Kosher” tours only guarantee that the food they serve you is kosher and you won’t be traveling on Shabbos. However, the kosher label excludes the whisky where it seems, everything goes!

I have spoken to friends who have been on Kosher Whisky tours and visited distilleries where they have told them that the whisky they are drinking has been matured in fresh First-Fill Sherry casks or rejuvenated and seasoned in sherry casks (STR casks) with dominant sherry flavour notes. The standard answer, if anyone asks, is that the KLBD allows all whisky. This is however not strictly true as this organisation did in fact issue a letter, (still online today), suggesting that those who are makpid, should avoid these “Sherry monsters” as they “may not” be fully covered by the hehterim established to allow drinking all whiskies. When it comes to First-Fill Ex-Sherry matured single malts, the phrase “may not” is an understatement…in my opinion!

See here:

https://rebmordechaireviews.blogspot.com/2017/08/the-london-beis-din-bomshell-regarding.html

Glenmorangie Wild Yeast

Let’s get back on topic. This review is about a single malt of the type of which I was hoping to have seen in the distillery shop. Matured exclusively in Second-Fill Ex-Bourbon. The reason why they did not use First-Fill will be explained below.

https://thirstmag.com/people/Dr-Bill-Lumsden

Glenmorangie Allta Private Edition 10, is part of a series of experimental single malts created by Dr Bill Lumsden, Master Blender at Glenmorangie. Other editions have concentrated on different seasoned cask types (mainly sherry and wine). This, the tenth in the series, is named “Allta”, meaning “Wild” in Gaelic, and is the world’s first single malt to have been created using the wild yeast which grows around the distillery, rather than industrially produced standard brewer’s or distiller’s yeast.

The question is, how much of an influence in flavour does this have on the whisky?

Now, in an interview on YouTube, Dr Bill Lumsden, mentions that he actually did his chemistry PHD in Yeast and that it was inevitable that at some stage, he would try experimenting with different yeast strains. He was convinced that his own unique yeast strain would bring out specific flavour influences in the whisky.

In order to show the flavours coming from the yeast, Dr. Lumsden had to use Refill Ex-Bourbon barrels to mature his spirit in, so as not to overpower the subtler flavours with the more dominant influence of the previous contents of cask, that being fresh bourbon…and certainly he was not going to use Ex-Sherry casks which would have totally obliterated any flavour influence from the yeast.

So where did Dr Lumsden get the idea of a local strain of yeast, growing around the distillery? Well that’s an interesting story.

Early Malt Whisky Books

Today, there are bookshelves of publications dedicated to the subject of whisky. However, back in the 1980s (when I started becoming interested in the subject), there was basically only two books to choose from.

The first was Wallace Milroy’s Whisky Almanac, first published in 1985, it went through 7 editions until 1991. Milroy, along with his brother, established Milroy’s Whisky shop in Soho, London, which although having passed through quite a few owners, still exists today.

I still have these books (4^th to 7^th editions) and my original handwritten notes from that time. The book gave you a few lines at the bottom of every page in order to encourage you to jot down your own tasting notes. It still brings a smile to my face when I read about my first introduction to Lagavulin heavily peated Islay malt. I described it as smoked herring oil and couldn’t understand why anyone would voluntarily drink this stuff! I also waxed lyrical about Tamnavulin 12-Year-Old and of course my old favourite, Glen Moray 12.

The second book for serious whisky lovers was “Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion”, first published in 1989, a few years after Milroy’s but a lot more comprehensive with proper articles, rather than short tasting notes. (I still have this book as well). Jackson, whose original surname was Jakowitz, came from secular Jewish family and grew up in Leeds. During his career he was better known as a Beer journalist, writing regularly for national newspapers as well as appearing on TV. However, his greatest legacy turned out to be his writings on Malt Whisky and his significant contribution to the popularity it is today.

Jackson is credited by some for introducing the 70-100 points scoring for Single Malt Whisky, although, Milroy’s earlier book uses the same scoring system. 70-100, because anything less than 70 was considered not worth reviewing! Back then, it seems to me (and it’s just my opinion), their scores seem to have been heavily influenced by the large Blending companies which used to give scores of First, Second and Third class grades to distilleries, in order to determine which to use for their blends. You might well be surprised what was considered “inferior” back then.

The great Charles Maclean writes in his “Miscellany of Whisky” and, about these grades in his early books and explains that these grades very often determined whether a distillery would “live or die”, that is, if the distillery would continue at a reduced level, be mothballed or closed when the industry entered into hard times. These grades were still very much in evidence during the infamous 1982 closures which saw so many wonderful distilleries destroyed. (See “Scotch Missed – Lost Distilleries of Scotland” by Brian Townsend).

Why am telling you about all this? Because in “Michael Jackson’s Malt Whisky Companion”, on the page for Glenmorangie, he mentions just by-the-way, about the special unique strain of yeast which he said, grows around the distillery. Dr Lumsden, reading about this in the book, decided to investigate and found that in fact, there was indeed such a natural wild strain. How Michael Jackson ever knew about this yeast in the first place remains a complete mystery.

 

The Review

Glenmorangie Allta Private Edition no.10 “Wild Yeast”

Bottled 2018 at 51.2% abv. Price 400 Shekels

Appearance.

A kind of a dirty straw colour? If there is some 150a colouring, then there isn’t much. It shows good solid and thick tears (or legs) that stick to the sides of the glass, indicating not only high alcohol, but lack of excessive filtration. All good in that department.

Aroma

Wow! Have you ever put your nose up against the opening of a bottle of Ammonia? 51.2% is high but not that high. I’ve had many whiskies which were a lot higher than this but didn’t tear the insides of your nostrils out. Add two teaspoons of water and leave the glass for 5 minutes.

(5 minutes later….)

Imagine the smell of a lovely fresh Challah Dough where someone has mistaken the bag of seeds for a bag of Red Hot Chilli Peppers and given the dough a generous sprinkling.

Some pleasant distillery smells – Mash – Distillation etc.

Creme Brulee, Milky Fudge tablets.

Orange liquor / Sabra / Drambuie.

Cocktail Cabinet Wood Smells.

Tasting Notes

Fresh Challah with raisins and Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Yeast Cinnamon cake with Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Stewed Apples with white sugar, White Golden Sultanas….with a sprinkling of Red Hot Chilli Peppers.

Mild milky Toffee. Caramel milk…with (you guessed it!)

Soft spices on the finish.

Adding more water simply waters down all the positive flavours until the whisky is drowned.

Conclusion

Despite my above notes, I did quite enjoy this dram. The bottle is alas empty and if I see another at a reasonable price, I might purchase it. But then again, I happen to enjoy my food with a sprinkling of Red Hot Chilli Peppers.