DISCOVER THE SPIRIT AND FLAVOUR OF OUR HOMELAND

Crafted from barley grown in just eight fields near our Distillery, the whiskies of our single-estate series, The Cadboll Estate, bottle the unique spirit and flavour of our homeland. Distillery Manager, Ed Thom, explains why these whiskies are so special – and why it is up to him and his team to ensure this precious land is nurtured for generations to come.

What is Glenmorangie's Cadboll Estate series?

The Cadboll Estate is our series of field-to glass, 15 year old single-estate whiskies. To make these whiskies, we grow our own barley on Glenmorangie’s land (located on the Cadboll Estate); this land is located just a stone’s throw from the distillery. This barley is planted and harvested to our exact specifications, before being used to create a deliciously creamy spirit. Our Cadboll Estate whiskies capture the true essence of Glenmorangie, and our Highland surroundings.

Where is the Cadboll Estate?

The Cadboll Estate is an area of land a few miles from the distillery on the fertile Easter Ross Peninsula, which divides the Moray and Dornoch Firths. It’s a very beautiful spot, especially when the barley is golden and ready for harvesting. I visit the fields regularly – they grow around 300 tons of barley – about enough for a week’s production.

What makes this single-estate whisky so unique?

There are different nutrients and minerals in every single area of Scotland. You might have low nitrogen, high nitrogen, phosphates and such like… The unique location of our barley fields brings an extra creaminess to our spirit. So the creamy, mellow, and mild whisky we make from our Cadboll barley perfectly represents the character of our tiny corner of the Highlands. As you can imagine, these fields are very precious to us.

Does each year’s harvest change the whisky?

The year’s weather can change the flavours you find in the barley. For instance, sunshine levels can affect how much sugar is in the husk. You might say that you can almost taste the amount of sunshine that has shone on the barley!

What casks do you use for this whisky?

We have shared three batches of our Cadboll Estate whisky so far – all aged right here in Tain at our Distillery. The first two bottlings were aged in first-fill bourbon casks – chosen to enhance the deep, creamy character of the spirit. The third release was aged in Amontillado sherry casks, which added a different level of complexity and subtle notes of warm spice. Watch this space for the new season...

Who do you think will enjoy this whisky?

We like to think our Cadboll Estate series bottles the flavour of our Highland homeland for Glenmorangie fans wherever they are in the world, even if they aren’t lucky enough to have visited our Distillery yet. And it is also a favourite in our community here in Tain. There’s a real sense of pride in this product which is so intensely local.

HOW ARE YOU PROTECTING THIS PRECIOUS LAND FOR THE FUTURE?

We feel a huge sense of responsibility to leave our Distillery and our surroundings in a better situation than when we arrived. It is our duty to grow the Distillery in a sustainable way – and so we try and give back to the whole community. Among other sustainability projects, we support the local farmers who grow our barley on the Cadboll Estate and surrounding fields, and we are helping them introduce sustainable practices. We even help fertilise the land with the natural, mineral-rich by-products from our onsite anaerobic digestion plant. We strongly believe that we should exist hand in hand with the beautiful landscape around us. After all, at the end of the day, we are all just guests here.