A large bag of Longmorn

January 27, 2014

A large bag of Longmorn

I'm expecting much consistency, which isn't always great news as stringing several similar whiskies together can become a little, say 'boring'.

Longmorn 17 yo 1996/2013 (43%, Signatory, sherry butt, cask #72327, 879 bottles)

The low strength should make this one easy. Colour: amber. Nose: leafy, slightly rubbery, a tad metallic and otherwise all on chocolate and coffee, plus touches of kirsch. And a little herbal tea, around wild rose. More walnuts and earth after a few minutes, while the metallic side remains. Mouth: herbal teas all around, with some mint as well as grape skins and pips. So a very leafy/grassy kind of sherry at first sips, with some oak as well and then more and more fruitcake. Dried Corinth raisins and dates, plus cloves and cinnamon. Tends to become more and more christmassy. Finish: rather long, very chocolaty. Some liquorice as well, then quite a lot of toasted bread and bitter oranges in the aftertaste. Comments: classic old style big sherry. Even the strength makes it old style. SGP:451 - 86 points.

Longmorn 17 yo 1996/2013 (46%, Signatory for Waldhaus am See, cask #72320, 753 bottles)

The large outturn suggest a sherry butt here again, even at 46% vol. The superb sister cask #72320 was bottled for LMDW last year. Colour: amber. Nose: it's a rather dry and slightly rubbery one again at first nosing. Coffee beans and rubber bands, some soot and coal smoke, then more herbal teas (mint, thyme) and dark chocolate. There are also lees and whiffs of wine barrel, as well as a little tobacco. It's rather very herbal for a sherry cask. Mouth: we're very close to #72327, but this one has even more grass and is becoming quite bitter. Herbal liqueurs, walnut skin, grape pips... Also quite some kirsch again. Rather pungent. Finish: long, slightly bitterish again. Marmalade and thyme tea. Comments: very good but I think I liked the 'lighter' bottling a little better. SGP:462 - 84 points.

Let's have a lighter 1996. Lighter in colour that is...

Longmorn 16 yo 1996/2013 (47%, Duncan Taylor, Dimensions, cask #105066, 126 bottles)

Colour: gold. Nose: more typically Longmorn, since there's much less sherry, if any. That means that the fresh fruits manage to shine through this time, with oranges and apples, then gooseberries and plums. Wee touches of nail varnish and bubblegum as well, which isn't unpleasant at all. Mouth: very fruity indeed, with a grassy backbone. Actually rather sweets and jellies, jellybeans, some orange-flavoured, some cassis-flavoured, while a few are rather cherry-flavoured. Some green tea. Finish: quite long, more citrusy. Hawthorn tea. Comments: a very good fruity one, full of youth. Rather orchardy as they say. SGP:641 - 85 points.

Longmorn 21 yo 1992/2013 (46%, Wemyss Malts, 'Coconut and Sandalwood', hogshead, 330 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: it's fresher than all 1996s, seemingly lighter in body, more on fresh fruits and vanilla, with indeed some lactones in the background. That's the coconut. Also nougat, marzipan and melted cassata ice cream. I enjoy this freshness. Mouth: sweet, rounded and fruity. Not unlike the Duncan Taylor but with rather less bitterish greenness. Oranges, vanilla, white chocolate, a feeling of jellybeans once again and then, indeed, more coconut that hints at bourbon. A very easy, pretty sexy Longmorn. Finish: medium length, a tad greener this time. Green tea, tea tannins - I guess that's what they call 'sandalwood'. Comments: typical fruity middle-aged Longmorn. There are literally hundreds around, and many are very easy/good in my opinion. SGP:651 - 86 points.

Longmorn 21 yo 1992/2013 (49.8%, The Whisky Agency, Liquid Library, bourbon, 271 bottles)

Colour: straw. Nose: extremely close to that of the Wemyss, to the point where both whiskies are undistinguishable. Maybe is this one a notch more lemony? Mouth: indeed, both are very similar, but this one's got a little more sour wood, cider apples and such. Also more marshmallows, it's all a little bigger and more vivid, so to speak, while all that cannot only come from the higher strength. More squash and maybe touches of kiwi. Less coconut as well, maybe. Finish: same. Long. Touches of bitter oranges. Comments: maybe the maltiness is a little bigger too. As far as quality's concerned, it's a tie in my book. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Longmorn 19 yo 1992/2012 (58.2%, Coopers Choice, hogshead, cask #71779, 270 bottles)

Coopers Choice already had a great 1992 at 46% vol. two or three years ago. Colour: pale gold. Nose: it's all waxier and oilier than the other 1992s, but that's probably the higher strength. Fresh butter and sunflower oil on vanilla, white chocolate, marzipan and various ripe 'western' fruits. With water: it's now the same whisky as both previous ones. Maybe a little more barley sweetness. Mouth (neat): big, punchy, fresh, zesty. Apples and lime, vanilla, green tea, gueuze and lemon honey. Very oily mouth feel. The high strength imparts a few coffee notes. With water: same as above again. Maybe added touches of ripe kiwi? Finish: same when reduced. Comments: all good once again. SGP:551 - 86 points.

Good, it's not that those babies have been boring, but better keep other Longmorns from the 1990s for future sessions. Bwaaah... Let's have some older ones.

Longmorn-Glenlivet 26 yo 1987/2013 (49.5%, Cadenhead, Small Batch, bourbon hogsheads, 402 bottles)

Another one from this infernal new black series. Colour: white wine. Nose: as naked as possible, this baby's got neither vanilla nor any other kinds of 'oaky' aromas. So it's more or less barley eau-de-vie, with a lot of, well, barley, touches of moss, fern, tiny-wee touches of compost, apple peelings and gooseberries. Add to that a few floral notes, a little patchouli, pot-pourri, roses... And that's it. Interesting. Mouth: same flavours, that is to say many apples and gooseberries, plus some lemon and lime. Add a spoonful of honey, a drop of amaretto and a little sugarcane syrup. Maybe a pinch of white pepper... Finish: quite long, very zesty. Almost Littlemill-zesty, in a way. A little horseradish in the aftertaste. Comments: as I said, this is interesting. Fully time-matured, and certainly much to my liking, even if it wasn't totally heroic. SGP:641 - 87 points.

Time for the digestif, don't you think?...

Longmorn 16 yo 1972/1988 (58.8%, Intertrade, 507 bottles)

That's right, this is the famous 'Highlander' label. Colour: full amber. Nose: the digestif will win it, no doubt about that and that was to be expected. It's one of these stunning old-style Longmorns that were fatter and oilier than more modern offerings. Stunning nose, full of beeswax, old turpentine, apricot jam, earthy pu-erh tea, pipe tobacco, metal polish, date wine, chocolate liqueur, mushrooms, old balsamic vinegar... All this is really stunning. With water: even more so. A box of puros from Cuba's best factory. And I'm very fond of these touches of parsley in the background. Mouth (neat): this is liquid honey blended with limejuice and a whole bottle of prohibition-time cough syrup (I imagine). Totally exceptional whisky, I especially adore these sherry monsters that show great balance because of a zesty/tarty side. With water: well, maybe it's time to call the anti-maltoporn brigade. Please... Finish: long, more on orange liqueurs and old Sauternes from a great year. There's something slightly muscaty as well, and some mint, and some liquorice... Comments: extremely impressive, some of these old Longmorns were simply unbeatable. Well done, Nadi, this one goes straight into the Pantheon. SGP:562 - 94 points.

(with many thanks to Diego, Franco and Herbert)

Check the index of all Longmorn I've tasted so far