Comeback of Single Malt Matured in Designer Casks

Glenmorangie, known for its quest to innovate, released its latest offering-- single malt matured in bespoke oak casks, Astar. It holds distinct wood flavour, owing to prolonged maturation inside oak casks of the mountains in Missouri. A limited version, Astar constitutes pronounced richness in flavor. 

The saga of Glenmorangie’s custom-made casks began in Missouri’s Ozark Mountains where careful selection of oak trees were done to ensure perfect woodiness in the whiskies. Slow-growth oak trees were chosen, due to their porous structure. The distillery had its own specifications based on which stakes were cut from oaks post which they were left for over two years in the open for softening. The process ensures that the whisky imbibes vanilla hints. After being casked, the stakes were toasted to gather flavors of coconut and almond. Then, they were set alone to mature for a few years so that the rawness if any, disappeared. Finally, they were sent to Scotland for maturation. 

Oak casks within which an alcohol matures is considered by Glenmorangie as the key determiner of the quality of the final output. The distillery’s consistent focus towards selecting the perfect wood for perfect whisky maturation, is a reflection of its efficacy in cask management. The company has earned solid reputation for this and brought all its expertise to the table while developing its latest offering.

The first limited release from Glenmorangie was a huge success. The director of Distilling of Glenmorangie, Dr Bill Lumsden, has ever since been on a mission to revisit the unique qualities of the single malt. However, crafting such malts is no joke, as it involves immense dedication and years of hard work. Lumsden’s devotion ultimately led to the dawn of another single malt whisky matured in designer casks, Astar.