Review // Glen Moray à la Belge (Cantillon Cask finish)
I’m fond of trying out ‘edgy’ whisky bottlings. I like to explore the furthest reach of what I consider ‘tasty’ on the palate. That’s why, 2 years ago, I reviewed a bottle of “Arran à la Belge”, an Arran expression which received a Cantillon cask finish. When the news hit that the people behind the project were releasing their second Cantillon finish, I naturally bought a tasting set. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m going to talk about a Glen Moray Cantillon cask finish. And, spoiler alert, I’m going to tell you why I like it. A lot.
Text by Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
Photography is © Whisky à la Belge and © Mickaël Van Nieuwenhove
A Whisky à la Belge Project
As mentioned in the introduction, this is the second release by Whisky à la Belge. If you’d like to read the review I did about their first release, you can find it here. I mentioned that, to me, the overall feeling I had was that it was borderline ‘done/not done’, but that I liked the raw and edgy side to it.
With this release, I believe the final product is more balanced, and will cater better to the palates of most whisky drinkers. The formula has remained, though: one whisky that is finished in a Cantillon cask. Specifically for this release, Whisky à la Belge married 3 casks of 11 year old Speyside Single Malt Scotch whisky (refill Bourbon cask) in a Kriek Cantillon butt. The whisky was left in the cask for about a year and a half, which gave the ask ample time to release its yummy yummy particles and give this whisky a unique ‘Belgian twist’. And it is limited in availability, as there are only 1082 bottles available.
Just like the first release, this whisky is meant to be paired with a bottle of Kriek Cantillon beer. If you order a tasting set, you get 2 bottles of the whisky (35cl each) and 2 bottles of the beer (37,5cl each). Perfect to pass around once we are all able to meet up with friends, maybe around a campfire, even!
The Tasting Notes
Now, let’s get to the tasting notes. This whisky is bottled at 54,8% ABV, and is non-chill filtered and has its natural color. And if you are wondering, the whisky was distilled, matured, and bottled in Scotland, after which it was imported to Belgium.
In the nose, I was greeted with syrupy cherries (the dark ones), reminding me of cherry pie, with a delicate balance between sweet and sour. There’s some caramel as well, and even a light poster paint scent. My advice is to give the dram some time to fully develop in the nose, after which you’ll be able to enjoy dark chocolate notes too, moving towards cocoa beans and cocoa butter.
I enjoyed the wood flavors that are present while tasting the whisky, and I’m happy that there was a slightly bitter note as well, besides the vanilla and toffee. At the core, I discovered a gentle and pleasantly sour note, which then moved high up towards my hard palate. I also had a slight tingle on my upper lip. The finish is long, and reveals a bit more wood and even some cherry pits.
But then, I sipped the Cantillon beer. And man. It was divine. The red fruit and cherry flavors, the sour notes, the combination with the chocolate in the nose. It all fit so naturally, so beautifully. I think I might even try some Black Forest cherry pie (Schwarzwalder Kirsch) with this next time. My birthday is coming up…
