Glenmorangie 12 Year Old, Palo Cortado

Some years ago, Glenmorangie's Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden became enchanted by the sweet, nutty flavours of Palo Cortado sherry. Imagining the depth and complexity they might bring Glenmorangie, he decided to experiment with its casks for the first time.

Glenmorangie Palo Cortado Finish was created by Dr Bill, who ceaselessly challenges himself and his team to take whatever captures their imaginations and turn it into whisky – in this case, the sweet, nutty flavours of Palo Cortado sherry casks. Dr Bill has already won a series of prestigious awards and accolades. For instance, he is in the Icons of Whisky Hall of Fame. He has won the International Whisky Competition’s award for Master Distiller of the Year more times than anyone else. And he was twice named Master Blender/Distiller of the Year by the International Spirits Challenge.

The spirit was distilled in early August 2010. It spent eight years in American white oak bourbon casks, before being finished in Palo Cortado casks for four years. It was bottled on August 25th 2022, making this a 12-year-old whisky.

This is the third bottling in Glenmorangie’s Barrel Select Release series of small-batch single malts. The wording was chosen to reflect the small-batch nature of this whisky, created from barrels handpicked by Dr Bill and released through select partners. Glenmorangie previously released Glenmorangie Malaga Cask Finish and Glenmorangie Cognac Cask Finish in the series.

The way in which Palo Cortado sherry is created (purely by chance, when the protective ‘flor’ yeast does not form on sherry intended to become Amontillado), means that it is an extremely rare sherry. As a result, its casks are hard to come by.