Review #665 - Cadenhead's 'A Highland' (Glenmorangie) 37 Year

Written By Me, My Wife & Whisky

It's not uncommon for independent bottlers to leave the source distillery undisclosed on a bottle of single malt whisky - here's a fun example from Cadenhead's, a bottler in Campbeltown. This bottling from their Original Collection comes from 'A Highland' distillery, and there's no other clue on the bottle which might indicate which distillery is the source. With a bit of digging, however, definitive signs point to Glenmorangie.

Not only is it a Glenmorangie, which is a relatively uncommon distillery to see in independent bottlings, but this one also comes with a huge age statement of 37 years. It was distilled in 1985 and bottled in 2022; this is actually a vatting of 3 casks, all ex-bourbon examples. We would be surprised if the strength was very high in the casks at that age; either way, this has been proofed down to 46% ABV, in line with most other Cadenhead's products.

Cadenhead's 'A Highland' (Glenmorangie) 37 Year

Scotland/Highland - Single Malt

Price: USD 774 (2025)

Age Statement: 37 Years

Strength: 46% ABV

Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks

Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; distilled 1985, bottled 2022

Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle at 50% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes

Nose: Subtle, with old oak, which smells polished or waxy. There's a mild creamy note, borderline lactic, but time brings stronger honeyed lemon fruit scents. There's a soft floral side, as well.

Palate: Malt and chocolate, a very old-school feel. Old oak, which brings the polished wood note from the nose, and there are some savory cooking spices like saffron. Orange brings a fruit side, and it's quite oily, especially for the strength; despite the age, a soft fizzy spirit note lingers.

Finish: Hints of wax, lemon curd, and oily spirit add a nice heft to this finish; polished furniture oak shows that age again, but it's far from overwhelming. It's quite musty and malty, and this finish is long and subtle.

Final Note: A very nice old Glenmorangie - probably our favorite whisky from the distillery that we've tried. It's very well measured, with no specific aspect overwhelming the others: spirit, oak, fruits and spice in harmony. It is a bit subtle overall, and while the oak was a common thread from the nose through the finish, it was never too dry or overbearing. Great whisky; it was a treat to try this.

Value, on the other hand, is not very good due to the astronomical price of this bottle. The same could probably be said about every single malt (or whisky of any type, for that matter) of this age, but you can get as much enjoyment from other whiskies that cost a fraction of this price.

Our Average Rating: 8.5 / 10

In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.

Value Rating: 3.70

About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.

Me, My Wife & Whisky
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