A Little Treat: Glenmorangie Signet

Every so often you have to indulge, just let go and forget about your responsibilities and spoil yourself just the slightest bit. I must confess that I take this view far more often than I should. As a result of my self-indulgence I splurged on the Glenmorangie Signet at a work charity auction, a fine display of selfless philanthropy in my opinion and felt that I should share the experience as this isn't the sort of dram that people get to try every day.

I have tried a few of the Glenmorangie range before, but always at the lower end, Signet is one of Glenmorangie's little experiments that has then gone on to be beautifully (if a little blingly) packaged and placed at the higher end of the standard range. Signet is made with some chocolate malt which is heavily roasted malt producing vanilla and caramel flavours and has received a ton of plaudits in medals galore. Signet is no-age statement, but bottled at a nice 46%, one of the few higher abv Glenmorangies in the standard offering
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On the nose there is a heap of citrus peel, cocoa, chocolate, orange and caramel. With a bit more delving and nosing you get warm pastry, sherry, Christmas cake, sweet spice and vanilla. This malt has a beautiful nose, it's really wonderful with great complexity and is so mouth-watering.

On the palate the Signet is oily and viscous, there's a load of body there. Flavours of pear, cinnamon,  cocoa, coffee and lychee leap about with, raisins, honey and  toasted caramel (whatever that is) coming in. The flavour is sweet, but at the same time slightly bitter and ever so intruiging. This is a corking, delicious, wonderful dram that is really very special.

The Glenmorangie Signet is quite different to a lot of other malts, with the coffee, mocha, chocolate notes it is really set apart and makes a great after dinner whisky. Whilst it certainly isn't an everyday whisky it is great to have on hand to dip into every now and again when you're feeling naughty or self satisfied. It's a shame that the Signet costs so much with it being a definite buy if it was at £80, at the £110-£130 mark it is a little bit harder to justify, but if you can then be sure to buy a bottle.

The Glenmorangie Signet is available at Master of Malt for £112.81