The whisky, which has spent a number of years extra-maturing in Manzanilla sherry casks – has already been selected by the public when three casks of whisky were put to a vote earlier this year.
The Moet Hennessy owned brnad had asked enthusiasts to choose the name of the new single malt whisky. Suggestions were whittled down to a shortlist of three, translated into Gaelic by expert Dr Aonghas MacCoinnich, and put to an online vote.
After Taghta, Coileanta (“Coh-lahn-tah”, Gaelic for mastery) came second while Salainn (“Sahl-ing” Gaelic for Salt) came third. Glenmorangie itself means ‘Glen of Tranquility’.
Dr MacCoinnich is a researcher in the history of the Highlands at the University of Strathclyde. He was formerly a tutor in Celtic and Gaelic at the University of Glasgow and grew up speaking Gaelic as a first language on the Isle of Lewis. Dr MacCoinnich helped Glenmorangie choose the shortlist and translated the names into Gaelic.
He said: “As predicted, it was really difficult to pick out the best three names from the thousands of entries we received from across the world. The public have now chosen their favourite and I’m very pleased with the result. It really is a good choice in all senses of the word. ‘Taghta’ is widely used in Gaelic meaning something that is excellent, choice or chosen and is used to convey the idea of something that is well done.”
The initiative is part of Glenmorangie’s ‘crowd sourcing Cask Masters whisky creation programme’ which aims to get members of the public involved in the whisky-making process. It was launched in March and will run for 18 months with the new limited edition Glenmorangie whisky ready for release in the autumn of 2014.
The company says stage three of the five-step Cask Masters programme begins now; members of the public can upload pictures and ideas to an online gallery to inspire the packaging of the new limited edition Single Malt Whisky.
Cask Masters is being overseen by Glenmorangie’s Dr Bill Lumsden, together with an expert in every field of the five-step process. Lumsden, Glenmorangie’s director of distilling and whisky creation, said: “This name truly resonates and I don’t think we could have done any better if we’d chosen it ourselves. Glenmorangie has already taken inspiration from Gaelic for the names of some of its most famous creations and we are delighted that this unique whisky has such an intriguing name,” said Lumsden.
Glenmorangie has already taken inspiration from Gaelic. Its Private Edition range, has Artein meaning ‘Stone’ and Finealta meaning ’Elegant’.
Participants will be able to win prizes including a VIP visit to the Glenmorangie Distillery and a trip to the country of origin of the oak cask in which the winning whisky has been matured.
