Released in 2009, Sonnalta PX inaugurated Glenmorangie's Private Edition — an annual run conceived by Dr Bill Lumsden as a showcase for experimental wood policy at the Tain distillery. The Gaelic name translates loosely as 'generous,' and the liquid does not stint.
Glenmorangie's house spirit, drawn off the tallest stills in Scotland, was matured first in ex-bourbon American oak before being transferred into casks that had previously held Pedro Ximenez sherry from Jerez. PX is the sweetest and stickiest of the sherry styles, and its imprint here is unmistakable: dried fruit, chocolate and a dense, almost confectionery sweetness layered over the orchard freshness for which Glenmorangie is known.
Bottled at 46% ABV without chill filtration, the whisky carries no age statement, a deliberate move on Lumsden's part to allow cask choice rather than years to dictate the conversation. The Private Edition format would go on to become one of the most closely watched annual releases in single malt, but Sonnalta set the template — extra-matured, generously strengthed, and tied to a single, articulate cask story.
For drinkers accustomed to the Original 10, Sonnalta PX is an exercise in how thoroughly a sherry finish can recolour a familiar spirit without overwhelming it. The Glenmorangie character endures beneath the dried fruit, a quiet reminder that the base distillate is doing its share of the work.
