Glenmorangie has never been a distillery content to rest on reputation alone. Their core range — the Original, the Quinta Ruban, the Nectar d'Or — speaks for itself, but it's the limited releases that remind you this is a house willing to push boundaries without losing sight of what makes Highland single malt worth drinking in the first place. A Tale of Ice Cream is one of those releases, and the name alone is enough to raise an eyebrow. I'll admit mine went up when the bottle first crossed my desk.
Let me be clear: this is not a gimmick dressed in whisky clothing. At 43% ABV and carrying no age statement, A Tale of Ice Cream sits in that increasingly crowded NAS space where Glenmorangie has proven, time and again, that they know how to blend vatted casks with genuine skill. The price point of £72.75 places it squarely in the premium-but-accessible bracket — above your everyday dram, below the collector's shelf. For a limited Highland single malt with this kind of character, I think that's fair.
The concept here draws on dessert-inspired flavour profiles, and Glenmorangie's wood management programme gives them the tools to chase that goal convincingly. This is a distillery that has spent decades refining its approach to cask selection and finishing, and the result is a whisky that feels indulgent without becoming cloying. There's a richness to it that suggests careful attention to the sweet, creamy end of the flavour spectrum — think vanilla, think confectionery warmth — while still retaining the clean, slightly fruity backbone that I associate with the house style.
Tasting Notes
I haven't published formal tasting notes for this expression yet, and I'd rather wait until I can sit with it properly than rush something out. What I will say is that the nose and palate reward patience. Give it time in the glass. This isn't a whisky that shows everything at first pour — it opens up gradually, and the later sips are better than the first. When I do publish full notes, they'll appear on the review page.
The Verdict
At 8.1 out of 10, A Tale of Ice Cream earns its marks through sheer drinkability and the confidence of its concept. It's a Highland single malt that knows exactly what it wants to be — a sweet, approachable, slightly playful dram that doesn't sacrifice quality for novelty. Glenmorangie could have phoned this in, leaned on the name and the packaging to sell bottles. They didn't. What's in the glass is genuinely well-made whisky that happens to explore an unusual flavour direction.
Is it for everyone? Probably not. If you prefer your single malts bone-dry and smoke-forward, this won't be your thing. But if you appreciate craft, enjoy dessert-leaning profiles, and want something different for an after-dinner pour, A Tale of Ice Cream delivers. At £72.75, you're paying for a limited release from one of the Highlands' most consistent distilleries, and I think you're getting your money's worth.
Best Served
Neat, in a Glencairn, at room temperature. Give it a good ten minutes after pouring before you nose it — the warmer it gets, the more generous it becomes. A few drops of water open it further if you find the sweetness needs balancing, but I'd try it without first. This is an after-dinner whisky through and through. Pour it where you'd normally reach for a dessert wine or a digestif, and let it do the work.
