• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • Baking
  • About Tammy

Scotch & Scones

menu icon
go to homepage
  • Recipes
  • Whisky
  • Subscribe
  • About Tammy
  • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • subscribe
    search icon
    Homepage link
    • Recipes
    • Whisky
    • Subscribe
    • About Tammy
    • Shop
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Single Malt Scotch

    Published Apr 12, 2019 · Updated Apr 16, 2022 · by Tammy Spencer · This post may contain affiliate links.

    Glenmorangie Allta & Ardbeg Drum review

    Jump to Reviews

    From different parts of Scotland, both Glenmorangie Allta and Ardbeg Drum show their pride of place, one by using wild yeast, and one by celebrating community spirit. Get one or both and you'll see for yourself!

    Collage of Glenmorangie Allta, Ardbeg Drum in bottles on a counter.this …

    Let’s talk about yeast.

    You know, those clever little organisms that change a lump of flour and water into sourdough bread, or a sugary solution of grains in water into beer, or better yet, whisky.

    Jump To: hide
    The sourdough of scotch
    Getting back to the roots
    Time to party, Islay style
    Special Releases: Glenmorangie Allta & Ardbeg Drum
    Glenmorangie Allta
    Ardbeg Drum
    Final Thoughts
    Related Tasting Notes

    The sourdough of scotch

    Long before people learned what changed their dough or wort into something worth eating or drinking, they knew how to save a small bit for the next batch. That’s how sourdough starters have been kept going for centuries.

    Brewers, bakers, and distillers eventually learned about the microorganisms on which they so heavily relied, and standardization inevitably took over. The scotch industry has been using essentially the same type of yeast since the 1950s since its flavor is predictable. This let them experiment with other factors like casks and grain blends.

    But the yeast itself adds its own flavor profile to spirits. Indeed, Four Roses Bourbon uses combinations of different yeasts strains to create their lineup.

    Getting back to the roots

    So what if someone went back to using the wild yeast native to their area to ferment their mash? How will that yeast effect the taste?

    a small scone
    Subscribe to Scotch & Scones!

    Sign up for my weekly featured recipe and you'll get two recipes, Extra-Tangy Sourdough Bread and Mint Chocolate Chunk Scones!

    The good folks at Speyside's Glenmorangie have done just that with Glenmorangie Allta. Dr. Bill Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s distilling director (with a PhD in yeast physiology, no less) discovered and cultivated the yeast growing on the local barley and used it as the basis for this 10th release of their Private Edition series

    The results are amazing. Think Glenmorangie Original made richer, creamier, and fragrant with dried flowers. My immediate thoughts upon tasting were that this is the whisky version of sourdough bread, highly tied to its location and cannot be replicated elsewhere. Yeast as pride of place, and that's quite an interesting notion.

    boxed Glenmorangie Allta  with pot still model on a counter.
    The little pot still that could...uhm...represent. (well, I think it's cute!)

    Time to party, Islay style

    Not hiding in the shadows is Ardbeg Drum, Ardbeg’s latest Committee Release. Finished in rum casks, it’s Islay goes to the Caribbean (think beach bonfires and bananas).

    Just in time for Feis Ile (pronounced "Faje Eel," the annual Islay Festival of Malt and Music held in late May), Ardbeg created Ardbeg Drum to evoke the color, aromas, and noise of the Feis Ile parade.

    It’s “a peaty excuse to celebrate” Islay’s own version of Carnival. An ode to a beloved community celebration, cleverly executed.

    Ardbeg warehouse model on a counter.
    A model warehouse with no mistaking who's it is

    There was more to this lineup that we tasted (Glenmorangie Original, Glenmorangie Lasanta, Ardbeg 10 year, and Ardbeg AnOa), but since I've already reviewed them, I thought we'd just focus on the new stuff. (Sounds reasonable.)

    Let’s parade on over to the tasting notes then!

    Special Releases: Glenmorangie Allta & Ardbeg Drum

    At Gordon’s DTX, March 27, 2019

    Glenmorangie Allta

    51.2%ABV
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: vanilla custard, soft cinnamon, vanilla wafers, clover honey, faintly floral
    • Taste: thick and chewy, cinnamon rolls, cream, white pepper, floral potpourri
    • Finish: oaky, fades slowly into cinnamon graham crackers and rose petals
    • Comments: like drinking a cream custard donut dusted with cinnamon sugar and white pepper
    Glenmorangie Allta in bottle on a counter.

    Ardbeg Drum

    52%ABV
    Type: Scottish

    Tasting Notes

    • Nose: soft and gentle smoke, eucalyptus, light overripe bananas, peppermint
    • Taste: thick and oily body, ash, mint, dried bananas
    • Finish: white pepper lingers with sea water and dried bananasComments: a nice balance between sweet and smoke, like drinking Bananas Foster
    Ardbeg Drum in bottle on a counter.

    Final Thoughts

    Private releases are common in the whisky industry, and both Glenmorangie Allta and Ardbeg Drum special releases this year are exceptional. Both celebrate the sense of place where their whisky is made, albeit in different ways.

    As a sourdough baker, I’m really impressed with the idea of using local strains of yeast instead of a standardized ingredient, the way whisky had been made for centuries.

    And to have such pride of place, whether through a community festival or just through a microorganism, well, that's worth celebrating.

    Slainté! L’chaim! Cheers!

    Tammy

    Related Tasting Notes

    Scotland's whisky regions have such a rich and diverse array of flavor profiles and distinct characteristics from which to choose. Here's where you can find a scotch I've reviewed based on its region. Slainté!

    • Campbeltown Scotch
    • Highland Scotch
    • Islands Scotch
    • Islay Scotch
    • Speyside Scotch

    More Single Malt Scotch Tasting Notes

    • Bruichladdich's unpeated & peated lineup
    • AnCnoc Highland Single Malt review
    • Roundup Review of Scotch, Bourbon, & Rye Whiskey
    • Islay's Bruichladdich Distillery Scotch Tasting

    Reader Interactions

    Let's Talk Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Primary Sidebar

    Profile picture - Tammy, July 2019 square

    Hi, I'm Tammy! My fascination with baking comes from my love of science and the magic of bringing together ingredients to produce something yummy. Coupling that with my appreciation of scotches and bourbons, I love to bake stuff, jot down my whisky tasting notes, and share my experiences with you!

    More about Tammy →

    Celebrate Someone Special

    • Sweetheart Valentine Frosted Fudge Brownies
    • Mini Chocolate Mousse Brownie Cake
    • Mini Skillet Hot Fudge Pudding Cake
    • Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse (No Coconut Oil)
    • Foolproof Slow Cooker Crème Brûlée (Vanilla Custard)
    • Silky Smooth Strawberry Mint Sorbet (Dairy-Free)
    • White Chocolate Marshmallow Pecan Fudge
    • Easy Chocolate Truffles (Only 4 Ingredients)

    What's Popular with Readers

    Here's what my readers are viewing...

    • Traditional Scottish Shortbread Cookies
    • Microwave Chocolate Mug Cake (Eggless & Dairy-Free)
    • Crustless Quiche with Sausage and Broccoli
    • How to Make Scottish Bannocks from Outlander
    • Italian Meringue Macarons step by step
    • Dairy-Free Chocolate Mousse (No Coconut Oil)
    • Sourdough Discard English Muffins
    • Homemade Marshmallow Creme (Marshmallow Fluff)

    Footer

    ↑ back to top

    Disclosures

    • Privacy Policy
    • Cookie Policy
    • Accessibility Statement
    • Ingredient Measurement Unit Policy

    Subscribe

    Sign up for emails and updates

    Contact

    • Let's Talk
    • About Tammy
    • Shop Scotch & Scones

    Copyright © 2022 Scotch & Scones