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Whisky Review: Glenmorangie Dr Bill Lumsden x Azuma Makoto 23 Years Old

Glenmorangie has unveiled a stunning collaboration between the Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, and Azuma Makoto, a Japanese botanical artist.

OVERALL RATING

8
$1,330
  • Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant with over a decade of experience in whisky retail and online whisky education. Best known for hosting Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, he is dedicated to making whisky accessible and enjoyable by cutting through jargon and complexity.
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Tasting Notes

About:

A collaboration between Glenmorangie’s Director of Whisky Creation, Dr. Bill Lumsden, and Japanese botanical artist, Azuma Makoto. The 23 Year Old single malt contains Glenmorangie’s first-ever Chardonnay cask-finished whisky, as well as some traditional ex-bourbon-matured whisky.
Appearance:
Amontillado Sherry
Nose:
It’s really subtle – cantaloupe melon, soft honey, honeycomb, milk chocolate, lemon zest, some orange oil, creamy coconut and pineapple. Classic Glenmorangie. It reminds me alot of the Astar release from a decade or so ago, but much more grown up.
Palate:
Soft, creamy, sweet, a little bitter with oak and gently drying on the arrival. More milk chocolate, cocoa powder, bitter orange and a slow build up of gentle, spicy oak that leads the way as it develops. The oak provides great weight to the texture, a slightly burnt brown sugar/creme brulee top to the end of it.
Finish:
A lovely flourish of wood at the end, softly charred with a real first fill bourbon feel to it. Spicy, fruity wood. It’s full of gentle flavour that swells around your tongue with long pulses of American oak, honey, dark chocolate and some peanut, too
Comments:
That is quite moreish. Not as intensely sweet as the Glenmorangie 18 Year Old, it has darker, woodier depth to it.

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Phil Dwyer

Phil Dwyer is a freelance whisky writer and consultant. With a decade of experience in whisky retail and nearly as long running Whisky Wednesday on YouTube, Phil is dedicated to sharing his knowledge and enthusiasm with fellow whisky lovers. His goal is to make whisky accessible and enjoyable, dispelling the jargon and complexity that can sometimes surround the spirit. In addition to his online presence, Phil managed The Whisky Shop Manchester, where he curated an impressive selection of some of the finest drams available.

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