Review: Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old

Glenmorangie has a new permanent edition in town, an age-stated expression that completes the distillery’s Flagship trilogy lineup of age-stated offerings, which includes Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old and Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old.

Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old (Latin for “high”) is matured in ex-bourbon casks and partially finished in Malmsey Madeira wine casks — a “sprinkling” of finished barrels, per the company. Why Madeira: “This homage to Glenmorangie’s pioneering Madeira-finished whisky from 1995 — a world-first and a collector’s favourite to this day — guides a classic into The Altus’s decadent new realms of sweetness and spice.”

That’s the gist. Ready to dive in?

Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old Review

This whisky is immediately unusual for Glenmorangie, nosing with a more serious density than I can recall from any other Glenmo expression. Dense notes of fruitcake dominate, with a light spritz of oxidized Madeira coming through clear. Nutty notes of almond and peanut brittle add some context, but with time in glass the whisky takes on more floral notes. Glenmo pegs this as carnation, which I won’t argue with.

The palate is very buttery and rich, a departure from the often gossamer, floral-centric quality of Glenmorangie — which I happen to enjoy a lot. Immediately, there’s tons of banana here, pairing with nutty walnuts to create a banana bread character which is engaging but unexpected. Rich and rounded, it would be overwhelming were it not bottled at 43% abv, which makes for an almost subtle, sometimes doughy body that is rather coy with its notes of vanilla and milk chocolate.

This isn’t a whisky that drinks like a 25 year old, and there are both pros and cons to that statement. On the plus side, it feels very fresh and lively, not at all austere or angrily serious, demanding focused attention. On the downside, it’s got a $675 asking price — which, you know, speaks for itself. Solid stuff, but I wouldn’t dream of paying that amount for it.

86 proof.

A- / $675

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