The best-selling single malt in Scotland, Glenmorangie is also one of the most widely available here. This success has led the distillery to offer a series of exotic special bottlings, but for me the unadulterated original is still the best. Of the three "aged expressions," the 10, 15 and 18 year olds, my favorite is the 15. The 18 year old is amazingly smooth and mellow, but 15 shows more of that fire-in-the-belly quality I expect in a Highland dram. They shouldn't be too civilized. Rather, they should conjure up images of bearded, kilted warriors raging across the heather, something this Glenmorangie 15 Year Old does superbly. There are aromas of toffee and caramel on the nose, and it has a fuller, rounder, creamier palate than the more straightforward 10 year old.

PS: I actually tasted this single malt at Mr. Pickwick's English Pub in Baden, CH on May 12, 2012 while watching the Bundesliga Final: Dortmund vs. Bayern with my friend Remy Chausson - note by Rami E. Kremesti