The Altus has been matured in bourbon casks for a quarter of a century, complemented with a sprinkling of madeira-finished whisky
August 18, 2025 — Glenmorangie Highland single malt Scotch whisky today releases a decadent 25-year-old whisky which elevates the Distillery’s signature spirit character to new heights of elegance. Forged by a quarter-century of craftmanship, Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old (Latin for “high”) embodies Glenmorangie’s tireless approach to excellence. Bottled from a marriage of whisky matured in classic bourbon casks and whisky finished in Madeira wine casks, this permanent addition to Glenmorangie’s core range abounds with sweet, fruity flavours, and butter-candy undertones.
For more than 180 years, Glenmorangie’s whisky creators have been endlessly imaginative on their mission to dream up delicious whiskies. None more so than Director of Whisky Creation and Master Distiller, Dr Bill Lumsden, whose favourite phrase is “What if…?”. Since he began his tenure at Glenmorangie in 1995, Dr Bill has constantly challenged his team to bring more flavours and possibilities to single malt – with multi-award-winning results. The Altus’s ascent through the years encapsulates his vision and commitment.
This whisky begins with the fruity spirit of Glenmorangie’s unusually tall stills, whose height allows more space for taste and aroma. That distillate’s delicacy is the result of meticulous changes conceived by Dr Bill, soon after he joined Glenmorangie almost 30 years ago. Then, inspired by the flavours which first drew him to Glenmorangie, he ages this elegant spirit in select bourbon barrels – the backbone of the Distillery’s house style. Among them, are Glenmorangie’s precious ‘designer’ casks; hand-made from carefully chosen American oaks, air-dried and then heavily toasted to Dr Bill’s exact specifications.
Patiently matured over decades, this whisky lusciously magnifies Glenmorangie’s trademark smooth, fruity character. Yet to elevate its flavour profile even further, Dr Bill marries this whisky with a sprinkling of Glenmorangie finished in Malmsey Madeira casks. This homage to Glenmorangie’s pioneering Madeira-finished whisky from 1995 — a world-first and a collector’s favourite to this day — guides a classic into The Altus’s decadent new realms of sweetness and spice. Aromas of carnation wind around orange blossom and honey, whilst tastes of mandarin, apples, pears and peach collide with gooseberry tartness, marzipan and ripe banana.
Dr Bill said: “The Altus’s 25-year journey is a true celebration of Glenmorangie’s acclaimed house style – presenting it at a new pinnacle of flavour. Once our delicate spirit has been distilled in our iconic stills, this whisky has absorbed the creamy, fruity influence of our designer bourbon casks over the decades, before being combined with a sprinkling of Madeira cask-finished Glenmorangie for more depth and fruitiness. This whisky elevates the Distillery’s signature notes of mandarin, peach and pear to new heights, combined with sweet butter-candy notes.”
The release of The Altus 25 Years Old was teased earlier this year in Glenmorangie’s Once Upon a Time in Scotland campaign, fronted by global cinematic icon Harrison Ford. In episode 10, ‘Teamwork’, Ford takes a moment to reflect on the craft, patience and teamwork that underpins the distillery team’s ethos. Distillery Manager, Ed Thom, presents him with a sample of a new and very special Glenmorangie to try – The Altus 25 Years Old.
“Here’s to your creation; to the good people of Glenmorang-y” toasts Ford, before Production Operator, Alan Duff jnr, playfully corrects his pronunciation once again: “It’s Glenmorangie“.
Glenmorangie The Altus 25 Years Old will complete a trio of flagship expressions in the Distillery’s core range, alongside Glenmorangie Original 12 Years Old and Glenmorangie Infinita 18 Years Old. It will be initially available in the U.S. at retailers starting in October, as well as from the distillery visitor centre in Tain, and at glenmorangie.com. SRP is $675.
To watch the full ‘Teamwork’ episode featuring Harrison Ford’s first taste of this new quarter-century old whisky, visit www.glenmorangie.com/pages/harrison-ford
About Glenmorangie
Glenmorangie’s whisky makers use endless imagination and five key ingredients – wood, water, barley, yeast and time – to dream up delicious single malt whiskies. They’ve been honing their craft for 180 years. They create a delicate and fruity spirit in stills as tall as a giraffe to allow for more taste and aroma. Led by Director of Whisky Creation Dr Bill Lumsden, this pioneering crew are on a mission to bring new flavours and possibilities to the world of single malt.
