To mark the tenth anniversary of Glenmorangie’s Private Edition series, the distillery introduces Glenmorangie Allta – the first single malt whisky created from yeast growing wild on the distillery’s own barley.
Glenmorangie Allta (Scots Gaelic for ‘wild’ and pronounced ‘al-ta’) reveals the often-overlooked importance of yeast and its impact on flavor in the whisky making process. With a background in yeast physiology, Glenmorangie’s Director of Distilling, Whisky Creation & Whisky Stocks, Dr. Bill Lumsden, remained aware of yeast’s potential.
Lumsden collected a few ears of Cadboll barley in the fields near the distillery and after analysis in the laboratory, discovered Saccharomyces diaemath, a species of wild yeast unidentified until that point.
He arranged for the yeast to be cultivated and brought it together with the distillery’s barley in the whisky-making process. Then, he transferred this spirit into superior ex-bourbon barrels, including many second-fill casks, to showcase the fruity character given by the yeast. The rich, creamy whisky which emerged years later, is said to achieve a balanced spectrum of aroma, taste and texture using whiskies of various ages.