Perfected by the Sixteen Men of Tain

Glenmorangie: The Quinta Ruban

Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky

From: Coy Tain, Ross-Shire in Scotland

Age: 12 Years

Cost: ~$50

46% Alc./Vol.

'onemalt' Rating: 7/10

It is 4:15 on a Monday. The sun is shining, the streets are flooded with snow melt, and I am blasting the Dub Step. Why? Because its time to get back to SCOTCH BLOGGING!

A little background: Tain was a town granted its charter in 1066. Seven hundred and seventy-seven years later a group 16 legendary men decided to create a single malt scotch. Descended from William Wallace himself, they had been suckled by wolves and trained by Chuck Noris (yes, Chuck Noris can time travel) to prevent the end of the world in 2012. These 16 men instead founded the Glenmorangie distillery in Tain and perfected the Quinta Ruban for our tasting pleasures today.

The Quinta Ruban (also meaning red wine estates of Portugal) refers to the port casks used to finish this sharply sweet tasting liquid. This is another scotch that is non chill-filtered, like the Ardbeg, so it has a higher alcohol content.

The taste is aggressive but velvety, coating your mouth as honey does a beehive. The port casks really give it a nice sweet smoky flavor. However, I have to say it gives off a strong acrid back-draft similar to the Ardbeg, which makes me think that this is due to its non chill-filtered nature.

I will leave you now with a poem

In haunted highland hills abounding

There is no greater sound resounding

Then the call of the Clansmen slain

Leading to the statement confounding

But brighter frontiers for the Scotts remain

Perfected by the sixteen men of Tain

Palates Welcome.

CH/AZ