Watches & Whisky: Glenmorangie & Hublot Classic Fusion
Liquid Gold: The Highland distillery of Glenmorangie, is well-known for their extremely tall copper pot stills and pale scotch but what they are also known for is their attention to detail when it comes to casks. The Nectar D’Or Glenmorangie expression is a marriage of Sauternes Cask and ex-bourbon fill casks. Nectar D’Or is an exercise in outrageously good sweet-dry balancing. It is here, in hand selected wine barriques from Sauternes: the most famous and ancient sweet wine growing region of France, that this whisky develops its rich, spicy and dessert-like flavours. Non-chill-filtered for additional aroma and mouthfeel.
On the nose: there is a beautiful waft of oranges, lime, vanilla and raisins. This is then followed up by notes of marzipan, honey and notes of a tropical nature, such as coconut. There are some lovely cinnamon and nutmeg notes in there too, alongside subtle hints of spices. On the palate: those lovely oranges and limes are ever-present; however, they are accompanied by notes of gingerbread and honey. These initial notes are closely followed by white chocolate, hints of lemon zest, with a syrup-like texture. Rounding off the palate are notes of poached pears and hint of almonds. The finish: long, sweet and warming, with lingering ginger and slight nuttiness.
The verdict: Glenmorangie is known for being rather sweet and elegant, and this drop typifies this, however, it also brings a lot more depth to the table. A Scotch that has plenty of character with perfectly balanced notes to give you a dram that you’ll only want more of. A whisky that in my opinion, doesn’t really require any water. However, if you do need to add any water then only add a very, very small amount and if you don’t feel the urge to add any then allow the scotch to breathe for approx. 5 – 7 minutes to open up the nose a bit.
Info: ABV 46% in a 70cl bottle
Solid Gold: The Classic Fusion, was first introduced in 2004 and has been till this day the more diplomatic and subtle timepiece from the Hublot range. Though make no mistake, it is still a bold wristwatch that has great presence on the wrist and will grab attention. Inspired by the early Hublot’s from the 1980s, the Classic Fusion takes its design cues from the classic “porthole” design.
This, hand assembled, Classic Fusion is made out of 18-carat King Gold and is available in 42-38-33 mm. The case is a rather sleek affair of mirror-polished and stain-finished facets, which is fixed to the wrist via a black rubber and grey alligator strap; not only for extra comfort but this also quietly brings it into the sports watch realm too. Reflected by its 50m water resistance.
Beneath the anti-reflective sapphire crystal is a grey sunray satin-finished dial that matches the strap perfectly and features matching case metal, ingot hour markers. The flow of the clean dial is only slightly interrupted by the date aperture at 3 o’clock. Powered by a self-winding HUB1112 calibre, which is visible through the exhibition case back and affords a power reserve of 42-hours.
The Classic Fusion, is just that – it is fashioned out of a mixture of materials; such as rubber, gold and leather. However, the more you think about the essence of this timepiece – bold, classic, refined and yet elegant – the more fitting “Classic Fusion” is.
