Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 years old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.9%

Fifty-four months in port casks. That is four and a half years, and it is not a finish — it is a second maturation laid on top of the first. Wilson & Morgan chose 2nd fill port pipes precisely so as not to run over a Speyside spirit that is lighter than it looks.

The expert's description

Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 Year Old is a Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky finished in port casks and bottled at cask strength 57.9%.

The whisky was distilled in 2007 and bottled in 2022 from casks number 5878, 5879 and 5880. Its final fifty-four months were spent in 2nd fill port pipes, and the bottling gave 586 bottles, non-chill filtered and with no added colour. The choice of used port casks is clearly deliberate: there is colour and dark fruit, but the wine never takes charge.

Wilson & Morgan is Italian. Fabio Rossi started the firm in 1992 and runs it from Treviso north of Venice, and the house has built its reputation on single casks and small batches chosen with an Italian eye for texture and finish rather than sheer power. Glen Moray carries a mineral, almost waxy mouthfeel, which the port casks here make more muscular without blurring.

Tasting notes

Nose

Dark and red cherries, with liqueur-filled chocolates. Creamy and dark rather than fruit-sweet, and underneath sits a dry, mineral note from the spirit.

Palate

Maraschino cherries and Sachertorte, with dried plums and a spiced edge. The sweetness is there but not sugared, and the waxy mouthfeel of Glen Moray comes through clearly at 57.9%.

Finish

Warm and building. The spice grows in strength while the cherry retreats into a dry, almost cocoa-like close.

Specifications

Name: Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky 70 cl 57.9%
Distillery: Glen Moray
Bottler: Wilson & Morgan
Region/Country: Speyside, Scotland
Type: Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 15 years
ABV: 57.9%
Size: 70 CL
Cask type: Finished for 54 months in 2nd fill port pipes
Non-chill filtered: Yes
Natural colour: Yes
Distilled: 2007
Bottled: 2022
Number of bottles: 586
Edition: Barrel Selection - Cask Strength
EAN no.: 8057760350007

Flavour profile

Dark fruit · Cherry · Spiced · Creamy · Cask Strength

Did you know?

Wilson & Morgan has been bottling Scotch whisky since 1992 without ever having distilled a drop itself. The firm belongs to an Italian tradition in which importers had access for decades to casks that never reached the British market, and several legendary bottlings from the 1970s and 80s came exactly that way.

See our full range of Glen Moray
See our full range of Wilson & Morgan

Listen to our podcast:

Frequently asked questions about Glen Moray 2007/2022 Wilson & Morgan 15 Year Old

What is a port pipe, and what does it do to the whisky?

A port pipe is an elongated cask of roughly 550 to 650 litres that has held port. The shape means less contact surface per litre than an ordinary cask, so the exchange runs slower. It gives dark fruit and a drier sweetness than a sherry cask, and typically a reddish tint to the colour.

Why 2nd fill rather than 1st fill port casks?

Because a 1st fill port cask over fifty-four months would have run right over the spirit. Glen Moray has a light, mineral style, and used port casks give just enough wine character to add depth without turning the whisky into a port drink.

Is fifty-four months not unusually long for a finish?

Yes. Most finishes run six to eighteen months. Here the whisky has spent almost a third of its life in port casks, which is why the port character is part of the base profile rather than a layer on the surface.

Should I add water at 57.9%?

Taste it neat first — the cherry is clearest without water. A couple of drops soften the spice in the finish and pull the chocolate forward, but the whisky loses its mineral tautness quickly if you go too far.

Who are Wilson & Morgan?

An Italian bottling house from Treviso, founded in 1992 by Fabio Rossi. They buy individual casks and small parcels from Scottish distilleries and bottle under their own name, often at cask strength. See the other Scottish bottlings in our Scotch Whisky selection.

How does Glen Moray normally taste compared with this?

The standard releases from Glen Moray are brighter and more vanilla-sweet, because they sit in bourbon casks. This one is markedly darker in both colour and flavour, and the cask strength makes it considerably more intense. Same distillery, two very different experiences.

Why are there three cask numbers on the bottle?

Because three casks were married for the bottling. They were given the same treatment and the same number of months in port pipes, and gathering them makes the outturn large enough for 586 bottles rather than three small single cask releases.