Glenmorangie has recently set the bar very high for themselves.  On the heels of public success with Nectar D'Or, Quinta Ruban and Lasanta, they released the wonderfully spicy Astar.  This was followed by the chocolated malt Signet which Dr. Bill Lumsden describes as his "Magnum Opus".  No doubt, this malt is one of the most intriguing spirits to hit the scene in a long time.  I was fortunate to catch up with Glenmorangie's Master of Whisky Creation by telephone on September 9th, to ask a few questions about whisky flavor development and learn more about the Signet expression.

When asked about the first single malt he had ever tasted, Dr. Lumsden chuckled and warned me that his response would sound as if his marketing department "wrote the script".  In his student days while studying Biochemistry, he drank mostly beer, wine and blended whiskies.  In 1984 at a party in Edinburgh, someone thrust a Glenmorangie 10 Year Old in his hand.  "It was so wonderful, so suprisingly soft and easy to drink, at that point I became hooked on malts".

As scotch became the drink of choice, his studies began to shift to non-medical applications of Biochemistry.  He completed his PhD thesis in Yeast Physiology and entered the industry as a research scientist.  Over the years, he became more keen to create something rather than examine it.  This ex-malter and cereal scientist attained his wish in 1995, when he joined Glenmorangie as Distillery Manager.  Today he is responsible for Distilling and Whisky Creation for the Glenmorangie and Ardbeg brands.  He is recognized as a leader in the industry, winning many awards and accolades for his "wood management" and exotic finishes.

I was curious to know what inspires the creation of a new whisky expression.  Dr. Lumsden replied that with frequent travel he has a chance to sample many different cuisines and tries to understand their flavors.  In particular the taste of the orient holds a certain inspiration for him.  While whisky is his passion, wine is his hobby.  As he tours the wine regions of the world, he's always thinking about the wine barrels and imagining how their flavors might work for a particular cask maturation.  Finally, in talking with many consumers he simply tries to find out what people enjoy.

The question was posed concerning how much of a new spirit is designed versus left to nature.  Dr. Lumsden explained that "On the front end, everything is carefully planned so the process can be tightly controlled.  But once the spirit is in the barrel, there is a degree of sitting back and waiting for the flavor to develop."  He also indicated certain limits.  "I probably would never develop an extremely smoky scotch for the Glenmorangie brand."  His philosophical point of view is that every expression remain compatible with the house style.  Ex-bourbon barrels are the foundation and so far every product has a degree of the house base spirit in it.  He went on to comment that "Signet was my biggest departure from the house style".

When asked which whisky was the most complex creation of his career, the subject of Signet surfaced again.  It seems the inspiration for this expression goes way back to those student days.  Confessing to a "fondness for Jamacian Blue Mountain Coffee even though I couldn't afford it", Dr. Lumsden explained how that wonderful toasty taste just stuck in his head.  It made him wonder if barley might be roasted and tumbled like coffee beans.  When he became distillery manager, he began to fashion this roasted barley into an expression, which in the beginning was too intense on its own.  It took years of working with Rachel Barrie to find the perfect formula that somewhat diluted the strong chocolated malt with Glenmorangie base, but ensured that its unique flavor characteristics were still at the heart of the expression.  Signet was released to rave reviews and Dr. Lumsden acknowledges that he continues to discover new flavor notes with each tasting.  He advised to add a bit of water to this dram, then take your time to savor it layer by flavor layer.

Anxious to learn more about the components of whisky flavor development, I asked about the influence of the Tarlogie Springs on house style.  Which characteristics are influenced by the water or is it more marketing hype than flavor reality?  Dr. Lumsden explained that the calcium and magnesium rich water definitely imparts a certain fruitiness that distinguishes Glenmorangie.  The quality of water also has critical impact on the distilling process and ultimately the quality of the finished product.

He believes that yeast has been one of the most neglected components of flavor development and adds that there is definitely room for experimentation in this area.

Asked to comment on the rumors that Glenmorangie owns their own forest land in the Ozarks to control their supply of American Oak, Lumsden was amused.  "We do not own the land, but we do have full control".  He went on to explain the superiority of air matured wood over kiln dried.  "Not only does it remove much of the moisture content but it lets the wood actually mature, therefore it is less green, has less tannin and bitter flavors.  This is important in letting the oak impart its wonderful vanilla, coconut and almond flavors.  A low degree of tannin also allows for the development of that sweet, silky mouth feel that is so appropriate for the house brand."  He further elaborated that charring of the barrels was an extension of that critically controlled process.  Working closely with Blue Grass Cooperage, the barrels are heavily toasted but lightly charred using heat rather than naked flame to preserve the sweetness of the spirit as it matures.  Seasoning with Jack Daniels bourbon further removes any woodiness and adds another wonderful layer of flavor.

When asked if he was willing to talk about any cask experiments that failed, Dr. Lumsden gamely offered two examples.  "Experimenting with Royal Tokay wine casks,  I let the maturation progress far too long without tasting the developing malt.  The Tokay flavor so overwhelmed the delicate whisky that this cask never saw the light of day."  Another experiment with Brazilian cherry wood produced a liquor that tasted of marzipan and furniture polish.

An inquiry into international whisky trends produced this response.  "The United Kingdom and Asia are more relaxed in the way they approach scotch, using it in cocktails and over ice."  When asked which side he takes in the cocktail/ice debate, Lumsden offered that "scotch is not sacred but meant to be enjoyed.  It makes a great base for cocktails and unlike white liquors you can still taste the whisky in your cocktail."  As to other trends, he pondered American consumer's tendency to believe that older malts are better only because of age and hopes that people will be open minded and try more of the industry's fine younger 10 and 12 year old expressions.

At the close I asked what were his most exquisite experiences when it came to pairing food with whisky?  Without hesitation, Dr. Lumsden shared that at the launch of the Signet brand it was offered to guests with a fine chocolate molded Signet logo.  This was one of the great pairings for both taste and sentimental reasons.  As to other food combinations he enjoys, Glenmorangie Original and Foie Gras top his list, along with Oysters and Ardbeg, or Lasanta with sticky toffee pudding.  It is also clear that Dr. Lumsden relishes connecting with famed Chefs in developing pairing menues and recipes.  Some fine examples of a collaboration with Internationally acclaimed Chef Alejandro Sanchez may be found at their site:  www.glenmorangie.com.  Refer to each individual expression for food pairing ideas and recipes.  Quinta Ruban with Venison looks particularly scrumptious.  On that note, I thanked Dr. Lumsden for the courtesy of his time and insight and promptly headed to the kitchen to rustle up a pairing or two of my own.

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