The Glenmorangie Port Wood Finish 12-year is a single malt highland Scotch whiskey distilled in Ross-shire, Scotland. The spirit is initially matured in American Oak Casks and then is racked into selected port “pipes” for extra aging in its final years of maturation. This extra “finish” to the aging process adds more characteristics to the malt to give it a more complex and fine taste. The Glenmoragie distillery boasts the tallest stills in Scotland, and every Glenmorangie Scotch is undertaken by a staff of only 16, known as The Sixteen Men of Tain. These sixteen men are hand-selected master distillers that work year-round and are the only people involved to ensure excellence in taste from Glenmorangie Scotch Whiskies. I just love how serious they are about their liquors in Scotland.
Glenmorangie Port Wood 12-year has a golden color with a slightly rosy hue. Its scent is light and contains notes of hazelnut and even chocolate. Even after it’s poured over ice, Glenmorangie Port Wood maintains a very subtle scent. The taste is very oaky on the first sip. It tastes almost dry and immediately warms your whole mouth and throat as it goes down. Subsequent sips prove to be much more rewarding. The little complexities in flavor begin to appear. It’s definitely a dry taste with hints of a walnut-like flavor. After a few more sips, I began to taste a bitter chocolate flavor with an almost minty finish. This is truly a fine malt for the Scotch drinker with a refined palate. I usually don’t pride myself in having the most discerning of palates, but I can definitely tell that the complexity of flavor offered by Glenmorangie Port Wood 12-year, would bring a smile to the face of the picky Scotch drinker.
All of the flavors of Glenmorangie Port Wood hit your palate very early and diminish quickly creating a dryness that left me feeling almost thirsty after consumption. It was almost a cotton-mouth like feeling, but the hint of mint flavor made me confident that my breath wasn’t that of a common booze-hound or wino. I’m sure all the ladies appreciated it just as much as I did…I just didn’t think to ask them. Although the complexity of this spirit will likely excite the Scotch drinker with a fine palate, all the extra flavors may prove to be a little much for the casual Scotch drinker. Some of the BoozeBasher crew felt that the taste was a little bitter and strong up front for a top-shelf Scotch, so the sipability rating wasn’t incredibly high.
The Glenmorangie Port Wood gave me a slight buzz after one glass. I was surprised, but it happened on three different occasions. The second and third glasses increased the intensity of that buzz. It was a light and almost energized feeling. I was quite impressed. The fourth glass made me a little drunk, but I wasn’t quite at the point I felt I should be after four glasses of 86-proof Scotch. It’s definitely a good Scotch to drink when you want a quick buzz and plan on being active or out on the town, but you may have to rely on additional players to really put you in the drunken stupor we all crave.
After a night of drinking the Glenmorangie Port Wood, I awoke without much of a hangover, but I had a bad case of dry mouth that took a little time to quell. I also had some of the worst breath I have ever experienced after a night of drinking, and that’s a scary thing! I had to brush my teeth a few times to kill the foulness. I hope the women I talked to on the review night didn’t have to deal with the same rancid fumes that tormented me the next morning. That might explain why I came home alone. I’m sure it wasn’t The Glenmorangie’s fault, but I’m totally allowed to rationalize my lack of charisma however I please.
Coming in at a moderately-serious price of $67, Glenmorangie Port Wood 12-year was pretty pricey. Unless you consider yourself somewhat of a Scotch connoisseur, you may want to stick with something a little more affordable. There are several good Scotches out there for less money, but if you crave a truly unique and complex taste, pick up a bottle and taste an excellent after-dinner or pre-night on the town Scotch.
Sipability - 7.5
Mixability - N/A
Drunkability - 7.5
Hangover-ability - 7.0
Bang for the Buck - 5.5
Overall - 7.5 
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Comments
Blah Blah Blah….
I know the single-malts and single-barrels are the big boys of scotch right now, but there are still some fantastic blended scotch whiskeys on the shelves that will not fail to impress and won’t hit your wallet nearly as hard.
Consider this a request for more blended scotch reviews.
Lucky you. You got to taste the good Glenmorangie Port Wood. The Glenmorangie company was sold a few years ago and they are now reinventing their lineup. The new replacement for the classic Glenmorangie Port Wood is called Quinta Ruban and it doesn’t hold a candle to the fine old version with it’s wonderfully subtle flavors that you tasted.
Wow, that’s very sad news indeed. I’ll hate to see it go.
Hunter is right ! Blind tasted the Quinta Ruban against the Port Wood with several Port wood friends. We all agreed , the new stuff is much harsher and tatstes young ! I’m not sure its not a blend, Kevin !
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