Glenmorangie 12yo Palo Cortado
Barrel Select Release | 46% ABV
I Bought A Second But Should You Take A Punt?
The great reset. It’s something that filmmakers and writers have covered many times over. Nuclear holocaust, mass extinction with limited number of survivors, EMP sends us all back to the stone age with horses and buggies, and the list goes on and on and on. But none of those are applicable to us in the real-world, only in fantasyland.
So how do we reset ourselves? For some, it’s going on an epic run or cycle, a long holiday on a warm sandy beach with a bag full of books, a getaway weekend with friends, or in some cases, camping without cell service.
My day job often requires constant connection. It’s like a ball-and-chain tether that keeps me from completely unplugging. Hell, on my last “vacation” in August, which was only a four-dayThursday though Sunday, I logged 20 hours of work, crammed in during children's nap times, after dinner, or before everyone woke up the next morning. I was lucky enough to sneak out at midnight to snag some shots of the Milky Way during the Perseid meteor shower though! Those pesky flaming rocks were hard to capture on camera, seemingly always flitting across the sky after my long exposure had finished. It did make for great watching though!
So with the never ending grind beginning to wear, we decided to risk September snows in the higher elevations here in Canada and head to my local Rocky Mountains. For those of you who might see postcards of Canada, you might have seen pictures of Banff and the waters of Moraine Lake. These sights are in my proverbial backyard, only a short hour’s drive away. And an additional bonus is that these mountain ranges are rather effective at blocking cell service so I could completely unplug, gathering myself for the always occurring Q4 mad rush that happens in my industry.
And boy, did we make out wonderfully. Sunny, clear blue skies made the 1700 meter (5600 ft) elevation much nicer and without snow! We could go on hikes, although the bears were quite active as they’re trying to fatten up as much as possible before hibernating, so we stuck to fairly benign trails and locations. I even packed light, just bringing my phone along rather than packing my camera and lenses which would ultimately distract me from enjoying the family time.
We enjoyed some fishing in crystal clear glacier-fed lakes (yes, the glaciers last year round just above these lakes), roasted marshmallows and made s'mores with the kids, and relaxed around the warmth of a crackling fire at night before retreating into the warmth of our trailer for the 2 degree Celsius evenings. I brought a few whiskies along, including this Palo Cortado, however the ambiance and scenery amongst the towering pine trees made Shelter Point’s Smoke Point absolutely sing.
These evenings were also crystal clear, with the dancing orange light from the fire providing a frame for the clear stars and small vestiges of the Milky Way overhead. We went camping with friends who we haven’t seen for a few months, sharing stories from the summer and stealing ourselves in the evenings from our grown adult lives to live like we did as housemates back in university. Ahhh, this is the reset the doctor ordered.
While Wally, and many others, have spoken to Glenmorangie’s recent rebranding, I’m not going to focus any efforts in this area. Glen MoRanGie (like a moustache running towards some ghee?), oRanGie, or other jokes aside, I prefer to use my short-form Glenmo moniker. It works with the rebranding and there are no other “Glenmo…” distilleries out there, so I use it. These hit the shelves in August 2023 here in Canada, a full year after bottling, and I was immediately drawn in. Glenmo was one of my gateway whiskies back in the day so I’ve got a soft spot. Coupled with that emotional pull, Palo Cortado is my favourite sherry type, making this an easy buy.
So why is Palo Cortado a rare sherry? Well it’s really a happy accident type of sherry. It is a sherry initially destined to be a fino or amontillado sherry which feature a yeast “flor” at the top of the liquid in the barrel. The flor is a thick layer of yeast that forms on the top surface of the sherry while in the cask, providing a biological maturation aspect to the wine. Without a flor, the sherry will mature in an oxidative manner, such as the ever-popular oloroso sherry. During maturation, when a wine that initially was maturing under a flor (fino, amontillado) inexplicably loses its flor, it begins to mature in an oxidative manner, turning into a Palo Cortado sherry. Palo Cortado’s therefore possess attributes of both flor-matured (bright, fresh, and dry) and oxidation-matured (nutty & darker fruits) sherries. Apparently, this accidental flor loss and formation of Palo Cortado-type sherry only happens to a few percent of all fine/amontillado sherry produced in Jerez, making it a rare cask finishing indeed.
Review
Glenmorangie 12yo Palo Cortado, Barrel Select Release, 46% ABV
£75-80 in the UK and readily available (CAD$95 / £56 paid)
While the bottle doesn’t specify as such, this whisky was initially aged for 8 years in ex-bourbon American oak before the final 4 years spent in Palo Cortado sherry casks.
Nose
Light, sweet, and fresh. Tinned peaches, shredded coconut, light runny honey, caramel toffee, faint whiff of golden raisins from the bulk bins. As some smell and taste in colours, this is very much in the golden region of the rainbow.
Palate
Quite syrupy and mouth coating. Fruit cup syrup, blonde brownie, and light caramel sauce. Raspberry white chocolate vanilla scone. Perfectly measured dash of cinnamon and nutmeg. Touch of cooked dates, golden raisins, and the barest amount of indistinct nuttiness. Retronasal reveals an orange citrus burst.
The finish is medium length, pleasant, and somewhat drying, with sweetness and baking spices trailing off elegantly before the dryness makes you want to refresh your palate with another lick of this delectable whisky.
The Dregs
I’m not sure if my taste buds are broken, or if the official tasting notes are wrong. Nutty with milk chocolate, spice, and dark plums? These notes are more akin to the common Oloroso sherry notes and are perhaps meant to pull someone into buying this Palo Cortado release with notes that are typically reserved for Oloroso? I poured myself other Oloroso whiskies that might be closer to these official notes to check. I even poured other Palo Cortado finished whiskies. Are my senses that far gone that I’m in the Milky Way and the Glenmo team is back on Earth?
This Glenmo Palo Cortado very much leans away from the oxidative Oloroso type and towards the brighter, fresher, and drier Fino/Amontillado vein of sherry. I will note that the official tasting notes on Glenmo’s website are more detailed and are closer to what I’m experiencing.
And the elephant in the room here… for once, Scotch whisky is cheaper in Canada?
I paid the regular price here, no sale shopping as is my norm given Palo Cortado is my favourite type of sherry. And I feel that the price is in line with the experience here, if even a tenner low. For reference, the 43% 12 yo Oloroso sherried Lasanta is the same price, and the 14 yo 46% port Quinta Ruban is $10 more. So for a limited release, this is priced quite competitively and makes it a no brainer try.
So when writing this review, as is my custom, I checked the various UK online retailers to provide that information for our editors. Then my jaw dropped. To my surprise, the UK is retailing this for 43% higher prices than Canada! That makes absolutely no sense. So either the UK pricing is wack and much too high, which might explain why this smaller batch non-core range release is still sitting on shelves a year after release, or my local importer messed up and slapped the wrong RRP on the bottles.
It’s probably a bit of both. I’m not going to look a gift horse in the mouth and immediately bought a backup bottle to stash away, something that is reserved for only a select few bottles.
For the price I paid, which was full price BTW, this is a hell of a whisky and well deserves the score. But should you buy this? I will leave that value proposition up to you as it is priced on the border between older or luxury whiskies and younger core range releases.
But as far as Glenmo’s go, this is the best one I’ve had in the past 5 years or so. I’m sure you’ll like it too.
Score: 8/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. BB