Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old Highland Single Malt Scotch Whisky
92 Proof
Price Point: $45 – $55 for 750 ML
Distiller: Glenmorangie Distillery
Background
Last week, I reviewed Glenmorangie Lasanta, a Scotch matured for ten years in ex-bourbon casks and an additional two years in Oloroso sherry casks. Quinta Ruban, however, spends 10 years aging in American white oak casks, before being transferred into ruby port pipes from the Quintas, or wine estates, of Portugal.
During a trip to the liquor store with my dad, he picked out Quinta Ruban based on my recommendation of Lasanta and his preference for port wine.
Review
The nose on Quinta Ruban isn’t nearly as forthright as Lasanta. The special aging in port casks does not show up in a dominant way by nose alone. What you’ll get more is a kind of Glenlivet nose.
Well, if you were to base the quality of a whisky simply by the nose, then you would walk right past Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban! The tastes from the port aging come through in a big way here, with a lot of raisin flavor coming out.
The finish is really nice. Not as red wine-heavy as Lasanta, but still reminiscent of the finish of a port wine.
Rating & Recommendations
Quinta Ruban is an excellent Scotch, but I happen to like Lasanta slightly better, which is why I rate this an 86 out of 100.
Just like with Lasanta, enjoy this whisky neat to get all of the flavors out of it..
Glenmorangie does a great job maturing its whiskies in creative ways, and Quinta Ruban is another example of its expertise.
-Ryan
3 comments
1 pings
Hello, Ryan.
I just opened the third of my Glenmorangie sampler pack bottles, The Quinta Ruban 12 Year Old. What a difference port casking makes with this expression, compared with the sherry-casked Lasanta I sampled last night. I brought a liqueur glass & a rocks glass with four cubes of ice with me to sample The Quinta Ruban. Forget the ice – I’ll not waste this small 100-mL sample by spoiling its taste with water. As you mentioned, the nose is not the dominant trait of The Quinta Ruban, but it is a pleasure to drink because of its taste and finish – definitely a later-in-the-evening or a before-retiring-for-the-night dram.
I don’t consider myself a whiskey enthusiast or a single malt connoisseur. I don’t own a nosing glass, although I think they’re pretty neat for serving Scotch whisky. I’m 63 years old and my olfactory perceptions and taste buds were shot a long time ago before I quit smoking cigarettes. So, I take it with a grain of salt when I read a whisky review that describes some whisky’s nose as “sweet, creamy vanilla, with hints of ginger, spiced mulled wine and pear” and its palate as “rich, creamy, silky-smooth, warm, rich oak and sherry sweetness, full mouth feel, raisins and soft fruits.” This is why I like reviewers like you who give short and to-the-point opinions of the whiskies in their cabinets. By the way, you Pennsylvanians also know how to brew good beer, unlike a lot of the craft microbrew effluvia that comes out of the state of Maine. Give me an IC or a Yuengling any day.
Regards,
Chuck
Author
Hey Chuck.
I’m glad you’re enjoying my blog so much! That really means a lot to me.
The Quinta Ruban is a really interesting whisky. If you enjoy port cask whiskeys, I would recommend trying Angel’s Envy. I reviewed it and didn’t rate it all that high, but it’s certainly interesting to go from a port cask finished Scotch to a port cask finished bourbon. Comparing them side-by-side would be even more interesting!
Cheers!
-Ryan
Hello, Ryan.
Unfortunately, Angel’s Envy bourbon isn’t available here in Maine or New Hampshire. However, inspection of the Angel’s Envy website’s list of retailers shows several locations in PA that I’ll pass through on my way to NC to visit my dad in April. If I also stop in Fredericksburg VA to pick up a couple bottles of Bowman’s small batch and single barrel expressions, I’ll have enough bourbon to keep me out of dad’s liquor cabinet…for a while.
Thanks for the tip.
Chuck
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