Hasta La Ideas

Single malt Scotch whisky born of stone and finished in Super Tuscan casks

Joining Finealta and Sonnalta PX in Glenmorangie’s Private Edition range, Artein is fantastic single malt that combines ripe fruit aromas with zesty notes of spearmint and citrus. Its unusual flavor profile received the thumbs up from everyone at CH HQ who had the opportunity to sample it.

The first thing that stands out is the deep, rich caramel color. The nose definitely bears the mark of the Scotch’s finishing—initially aged in white oak bourbon barrels, Artein is a blend of Glenmorangie 15 year old (around 2/3) and 21 year old (around 1/3) whiskies which are then transfered to Italian Super Tuscan wine casks for marrying and “extra maturation”. The Super Tuscan casks lend just enough flavor to enhance an already fine whisky, and avoids the unfortunate over-flavoring of some other finished whiskies. Super Tuscan wines are known for the intense terroir of the rocky terrains in Italy’s Tuscan coast, and the relatively strong 46% Artein remains pleasantly manageable in terms of volatility, allowing the palate to open up nicely when a few drops of water are added.

Named after the Gaelic word for “stone”, Artein uses the hard water from Glenmorangie’s Tarlogie Springs. Naturally filtered through layers of limestone, the spring is one of Glenmorangie’s well-protected secrets. The distillery takes inspiration for its signet from the Cadboll Stone, an ancient carved “pictish” stone. For Artein, Glemmorangie wanted to produce a whisky that exemplified the rich mineral characteristics of stone at every turn.

Artein is available for purchase from specialty retailers as well as online.