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Glen Moray has introduced a Sauternes cask expression into its new Warehouse 1 collection.
Launching on 23 November, this new cask strength dram is packed with, the team say, festive flavours of dark chocolate, caramel, Seville orange and spice, having matured in Warehouse 1 for 14 years, exclusively in five sweet Sauternes wine casks.
The resulting whisky is a mix of Glen Moray’s smooth, light Speyside style with the aromatic, honeyed sweetness of France’s most famous dessert wine.
Sauternes Cask Matured will be the first in a new collection of eclectic, small batch releases from Glen Moray, named in honour of Warehouse 1: the Elgin distillery’s blue-fronted dunnage warehouse where an assortment of interesting and innovative casks are tucked away, quietly maturing for future release.
Distilled and bottled in 2006, this new expression is exclusive to the UK market and, with just 1248 bottles available, is set to be sought-after as a Christmas treat for whisky lovers.
Glen Moray’s head of whisky creation Dr Kirstie McCallum said: ‘We’re very proud to be releasing our Sauternes Cask Matured expression in time for the festive season – and as the first whisky in our new Warehouse 1 Collection.
"This is an absolute cracker of a dram, and a perfect marriage of Glen Moray’s spirit with all the rich, deliciously sweet flavours you would enjoy in a glass of Sauternes.
"It’s a real celebration of flavour and Glen Moray’s passion for unusual cask maturation’.
Commenting on the new Warehouse 1 Collection, Glen Moray brand ambassador Iain Allan added: "There are a good few warehouses at our Elgin site, but Warehouse 1 is special.
"Over the years, this is where our distillery teams have quietly stored the results of their experiments and cask adventures.
"As a result we have pockets of casks holding the most interesting and incredible tasting whiskies scattered throughout the warehouse, which we are now uncovering, tasting and making plans to release.
"It’s fitting and very exciting that, starting with this superb Sauternes bottling, these whiskies will now be enjoyed by drinkers as part of our Warehouse 1 Collection in years to come."
Sauternes is one of France’s most famous wines, made in the dessert wine producing region just south of Bordeaux and renowned for its intense sweetness and notes of zest and spice.
Crafted since 1897 in the town of Elgin, the capital of the Speyside whisky region, Glen Moray distillers have been curious about flavour throughout their history.
Surviving handwritten ledgers show that a wide variety of casks were used to mature new make spirit back in those early days, which was an unusual practice for the time.
A deep knowledge and expertise of wood has developed at Glen Moray through generations of distillers, resulting in today’s range of whiskies with a style to suit everyone.
Glen Moray Sauternes Cask Matured is bottled at cask strength – 59.6% ABV - at its natural colour, and non-chill-filtered.
It is a UK exclusive, available in 70cl in specialist whisky shops and online with an RRP £79.95.
