Signet is Glenmorangie's dark, coffee-toned prestige release, launched in 2008 and built around whisky made from high-roast chocolate malt. It carries no age statement, but part of the blend is very old stock from the distillery's warehouses.
About This Whisky
Signet marries whisky made from two unusual barleys: an estate-grown Cadboll variety and roasted chocolate malt. Part of the recipe matured in bespoke American oak casks, and some of the older component is reported to be 30 to 40 years old. It is bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration, which keeps the texture full.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Espresso and dark chocolate up front, with orange peel, cinnamon and a little toasted nut.
- Palate: Velvety and dense, showing mocha, dried fruit, clove and creamy malt.
- Finish: Long, with bitter cocoa, sweet spice and a lingering coffee note.
Serving & Food
An after-dinner whisky: room temperature, in a heavy tumbler or Glencairn, with a spoonful of water if you like it softer. It is lovely with tiramisu, orange-dark chocolate or a double espresso on the side.
How to Enjoy
Coffee and chocolate lovers, and gifts for Scotch drinkers who prefer rich, unpeated malt.
Product Details
Distillery: Glenmorangie
Region: Highlands, Scotland
Style: Highland single malt Scotch whisky
Barley: Chocolate malt and Cadboll estate barley
Age: No age statement
Chill filtration: Non chill-filtered
ABV: 46%
Format: 700mL
About the Distillery
Glenmorangie's production team at Tain has long been known as the Sixteen Men of Tain,. Their reputation rests on careful work with casks and, less often talked about, with barley.
Signet came out of that second interest. Dr Bill Lumsden, who has led whisky creation at Glenmorangie for many years, spent a long time experimenting with barley types before bringing chocolate malt, more familiar in stout, into a single malt. The name and the emblem on every bottle come from the Hilton of Cadboll Stone, a Pictish carving from around 800 AD found near the distillery.