On May 10th, I saw a social media post from Glenmorangie revealing some new labeling, and one more significant change. Their Quinta Ruban expression was changing from a 12 year to a 14 year.
For those of you not familiar with Glenmorangie Quinta Ruban, it is part of their core product line. Originally released as a NAS (Non Age Statement) whisky, it was changed to a 12 year old in 2010, which is how I first encountered it.
Primarily aged in ex-Bourbon casks, it is finished for an average of 2 years in casks that formerly held Port wine. The name Quinta Ruban is a nod to two cultures – The Portuguese “Quinta”, the estates where wine grapes are grown, and the Gaelic “Ruban”, meaning Ruby.
My immediate thought was that this transition period offered a unique opportunity to look at a question frequently encountered in both the whisky and Port communities – Is older really better? The best way to explore that was with a side by side tasting.
Availability will depend on how much inventory is already in the supply chain, and how quickly it turns over. If you don’t already have the 12, you may want to pick up a bottle while it is still out there, or wait for the 14 to hit the shelves.
I already had a bottle of Quinta Ruban 12, so I set out to find the newly released 14 year old. Luckily, it was only a couple of weeks before a couple of stores in my area turned over their existing stock of 12, and had this new release on the shelf.
Properly stocked with both bottles, I sat down to sample them side by side, and compare.
Color – The first thing that I noticed, way back when I first tried the 12 year old, is that it has a slightly reddish tint from the port casks. In the bottle, the 14 is a little lighter, and less red, but you need the volume in the bottle to notice it. In the glass, the difference is imperceptible.
Aroma – They are very similar here. Both are warm, with notes of dried fruit, like raisins, and chocolate, similar to a fine port. Hints of the signature Glenmorangie citrus are also present. The 12 shows a little more heat, even though they are both bottled at 46% ABV. The lower heat in the aroma of the 14 allows some of the more subtle notes to emerge.
Palate – The 12 year old starts out almost like a rich, well-aged tawny Port. It took me half a second to remember that I was drinking a whisky. Dark fruit is prominent up front. Malt and wood notes emerge in the middle, reminding you gently that this is a whisky, and not a Port wine. The finish is long and slightly dry, with a little bit of heat.
On the palate, the 14 starts out lighter and sweeter. The fruit is more bright than dark, with the notes of a nice Highland whisky featuring more prominently. The cask finish expresses itself more subtly. I can’t help but think that even though both spend an average of 2 years in port casks, the fact that the time in the finishing casks is a smaller portion of the overall age on the 14 makes those notes less dominant. At least, that’s the best explanation I can come up with.
The heat that came across on the palate and in the finish of the 12, while not overpowering, is even more subdued in the 14. The extra two years have definitely allowed the whisky to mellow even further.
If you want a bolder whisky that more prominently features the influence of the finishing cask, pick up a bottle of the 12 while it is still available. If you prefer a more subtle, mellower whisky, the 14 should be hitting shelves near you soon, as supplies of the 12 dwindle.
In either case, you can’t go wrong, as both are outstanding whiskies. Then again, it’s hard to go wrong with any expression from the 16 Men of Tain.
