Some time ago Dr. Bill Lumsden of Glenmorangie set aside some casks of the Glenmorangie Original 10 Years and gave them a further maturation in Tokaji casks, the sweet dessert wine from Hungary.
It resulted in the latest limited expression called Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake. It should capture the joy of a slice of cake in a glass, they even teamed up with a patisserie chef to create a series of cocktail and cake pairings.
Glenmorangie A Tale of Cake (46%, OB 2020)
Nose: very sweet and syrupy, pushing the boundaries, with a big vanilla custard theme, mango and floral honey, on top of the classic Glenmorangie fruits like peaches, oranges and quinces. Hints of Muscat grapes and a little marzipan. Light minty / nutty touches. Very creamy stuff with enough fresh appeal as well.
Mouth: sweet and slightly liqueur-like again, though maybe less than expected after that nose. Pineapple, tinned peaches and grapes, oranges again. Some vanilla cake indeed. Honey coated almonds. However the peppery and mentholated notes, combined with a bitter fruit element bring down the sweetness a little. Ends on slightly mineral, tangy oak.
Finish: long, now with darker fruits and chocolate, alongside marmalade and spicy oak.
Other Tokaji experiments I tried were no highflyers, but A Tale of Cake pulls it off nicely. Compared to the core range Glenmorangies though, which are already sweet and fruity, this adds less sweetness than I expected and less complexity than I hoped. Quite a successful result though. Available from Tyndrumwhisky or The Whisky Exchange for instance (they also offer a 3cl sample if you like).