Review #64 - Glenmorangie 14 Year Quinta Ruban

Port Cask Finish Mini-Series: Part 3 of 3

The last of these three port cask whisky reviews sees us return to Scotland, to the Highlands, and to Glenmorangie. Here we find the 14 year Quinta Ruban, a staple in the distillery's core range. It is aged initially in ex-bourbon casks, supposedly for around 10 years, after which it spends about 4 years aging in Ruby Port pipes.

Like the others in this series, we're expecting some nice dark flavors of fruit and possibly chocolate, and if the rumored 4 years of port finishing is correct, those flavors may be a bit heavier here. Glenmorangie's spirit is also known in the community for taking on finishing casks relatively well, so we're hoping for a cohesive, mature experience, too.

Glenmorangie 14 Year Quinta Ruban

Scotland/Highlands - Single Malt

Price Paid: USD 50 (2021)

Current Locally Available Price: USD 45 (2023)

Age Statement: 14 Years

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: Initially ex-bourbon, finished in ruby port pipes

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 4 times over 11 months; bottles at 50%, 50%, 40% (blind tasting), and 30% (blind tasting) fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes

Nose: There's a decent complexity, plenty going on: it's sweet and lightly perfumed, and while we start with some ex-bourbon notes of dark oak and a hint of leather, maybe even a touch of wood smoke, it's quickly changing to a heavier cask influence. Plenty of fruits: raspberry, strawberry jam, a hint of orange, fig, reddish in general; there's a nice chocolate note to go with it, dark cocoa which turns toward cherry cola. Plenty of baking spices as well: cinnamon, clove, cardamom, and mild vanilla to name a few, along with some yeasty bread, candied nuts, and burnt sugar. Behind all of this, there is a mild backbone of spirit - lightly earthy, mineral, even a mild tropical taste.

Palate: We start out sweet again, though it is maybe a little more dry and balanced than the nose; the mouthfeel is medium, but there is a somewhat viscous chocolate syrup coming to the front, even a molasses syrup. As the palate opens, that chocolate transitions to milk chocolate, and then more of a tart dark chocolate later, or spiced Mexican cocoa. The fruits are back as well, with raspberry and rich cherry, before it turns toward a darker fig with salt and nuts. There's some light oak that adds a mild bitter tannin, and along with caramel, a bit of unsmoked tobacco leaves. The spirit influence we mentioned in the nose is still there, only just: very slightly dirty or funky, with some hay and sassafras at the end.

Finish: Medium length, round and oily, with just a soft warmth. Perfume and sweet port notes are plentiful: chocolate, cola, wine, and nuts, both dried and candied. The baking theme returns as well, with cardamom and Christmas spices, maybe even a maple syrup note, and the oak adds a puff of wood smoke once more. The spirit notes are still there, but still just a hint behind a strong cask influence.

Final Note: This is pretty good, definitely our favorite of the Glenmorangie core range of whiskies. While the spirit is pretty smothered by the strong cask flavors, there is still plenty of complexity to explore, and those who enjoy sweeter whiskies will likely be a fan. Prices on this bottle at generally very good, too, at least where we are - it's a great value pick. Overall, a strong recommendation from us.

Our Average Rating: 7.7 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 8.10