Glenmorangie has launched Pride 1978, making it one of the most exclusive, matured whiskies on the global market.
The new 34-year-old addition started as an 19-year-old whisky before being extra-matured for 15 years, which was the longest period a Glenmorangie whisky has undergone extra-maturation.
Pride 1978 is a limited edition product that is destined to be a highly sought after collectible, as only 700 bottles of the single malt will be made available worldwide. Only five casks of this rare liquid were laid down, making the latest single malt extremely rare. The retail price for Pride 1978 is $5,800 with only 180 bottles of the limited edition whisky available for purchase in the U.S.
Glenmorangie is building on the success of its exclusive Pride 1981 bottling, released in 2011, with the launch of Glenmorangie Pride 1978.
Pride 1978 was expertly crafted by Dr. William “Bill” Lumsden, the Director of Distilling and Whisky creation at Glenmorangie. Lumsden oversees the creation of the entire Glenmorangie range and is regarded as a pioneer in the malt whisky industry. He is also the only man to win “Industry Leader of the Year” award three times from leading US whisky magazine Malt Advocate’s “Industry Leader of the Year”.
This exceptional Glenmorangie has been extra matured in casks which had contained an exquisite French claret wine with the final result a rich and opulent whisky of outstanding pedigree.
The whisky’s birth date, as its name implies, was 1978, which is when the original liquid was distilled for maturation in Glenmorangie’s finest oak casks transforming the liquid into a vintage 19 Year Old. After a further 15 years of extra-maturation in five precious casks, Pride 1978 was bottled in 2012.
“The resulting liquid is a luxurious burnished copper with rich, decadent and delicious scents of chestnut, toffee and cherries,” says Lumsden. “I believe this is my finest expression yet, one that will be savoured by whisky enthusiasts across the globe.”
To mark the release of Glenmorangie’s rarest single malt to date, internationally acclaimed artist Idris Khan created a unique piece of artwork to accompany the purchase, titled ‘Disappearing Casks’.
“I am absolutely delighted to work with Glenmorangie,” Khan says. “When visiting their distillery in Tain I was immediately mesmerised. The vision of the casks has stayed with me and provided inspiration for ‘Disappearing Casks’. I was born the same year that the cask was laid down and it feels very fitting that I am helping to tell its story.”
The artwork represents traces of the distinctive whisky barrels at Glenmorangie’s distillery in Tain, where the transformation in whisky-making happens. It is these five casks which have been locked in archives since 1978 which have produced Glenmorangie’s finest and longest extra-matured single malt yet.
“The opportunity to work with Idris Khan on Pride 1978 was an exciting one,” says Lumsden. “Like Idris, we are always looking to push boundaries and innovate, and Pride 1978 is the pinnacle of those efforts.”
Each of the 700 decanters of Glenmorangie Pride 1978 will accompanied by a signed limited edition print of Idris Khan’s art piece.
Glenmorangie Single Malt Scotch Whisky originates in the Scottish Highlands where, at the Glenmorangie Distillery, it is distilled in the tallest malt whisky stills in Scotland, expertly matured in the finest oak casks, and perfected by the 16 Men of Tain, the select craftsmen entrusted with the secrets of the Glenmorangie distillery.
The distillery was founded in 1843 and is renowned as a pioneer in the whisky industry, uniting tradition with innovation. Glenmorangie was awarded the prestigious title of “Distiller of the Year” by the International Wine & Spirits Competition in 2012 and has consistently won more “Gold Best in Class” medals than any other single malt over the past six years at the IWSC. Wine Enthusiast also named Glenmorangie “Distiller of the Year” in 2011.
Today, the company is one of the most renowned and innovative distillers and marketers of Scotch whisky brands worldwide and is part of Moët Hennessy, the wine and spirits division of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton. Headquartered in Edinburgh, Scotland, The Company produces two main single malt brands, including Glenmorangie Single Highland Malt Whisky and Ardbeg Single Islay Malt.
Image Courtesy of Glenmorangie
