Longmorn - Glenlivet

SCOTCH SINGLE MALT WHISKIES > L

LONGMORN

30 years old

43 %
Last bottle and empty
VINTAGE 1964
Distilled 17.1.64
Bottled 10.94
Cask No. 324
150 bottles
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

LONGMORN - GLENLIVET

11 years old

60.7 %
CADENHEAD'S
AUTHENTIC COLLECTION
Sherrywood Matured
Cask Strenght
Distilled June 1984
Bottled December 1995
Not diluted
No additives
No filtration . No colouring
Wm. Cadenhead, 32 Unionstreet,
Campbeltown

LONGMORN - GLENLIVET

11 years old

60.1 %
Last Bottle and empty
CADENHEAD'S
AUTHENTIC COLLECTION
Sherrywood Matured
Cask Strenght
Distilled 1984
Bottled 1996
Not diluted
No additives
No filtration . No colouring
Wm. Cadenhead, 32 Unionstreet,
Campbeltown

LONGMORN

8 years old

43 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 14/4/89
Cask No. 6052
Bottled 30/6/97
Van Wees, Amersfoort

LONGMORN

13 years old

43 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled 23.12.81
Cask No. 5006
Bottled 1.95
294 bottles
Van Wees, Amersfoort

LONGMORN

15 years old

45 %

Heritage Selection
LAST BOTTLE & EMPTY
Bottled: 1994
Longmorn Distillery, Elgin

Einde 1994 uitgebracht door Seagram in “The Heritage Serlection” met de Speyside Single Malt Whiskies Benriach, Glen Keith en Strathisla.

LONGMORN

17 years old

59,1 %
Distilled: 1976
Bottled: 1994
Society Cask code 7.13
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh

LONGMORN

geen leeftijd vermelding

40 %
Vintage Highland Malt
Signatory Vintage
Scotch Whisky Co, Ltd, Edinburgh

LONGMORN

29 years old

45 %

Distilled: 1972
Bottled: 2001
Matured in Sherry Oak Hogsead
Cask number 1097
272 Bottles
No Chill Filtration
No Colouring
Blackadder International, Edinburgh

One of the truly classic Speyside malt whiskies, Longmorn has always been much sought after 'top dressing' for many of Scotland's blended whiskies.

Always sweet and lightly peated it gives some of Scotland's finest sherry - cask malts when so matured. This exceptional well - aged example is gently chewy with a long rich finish.

LONGMORN

15 years old

43 %

Heritage Selection

(old Bottle)
Longmorn Distillery, Elgin

One of the truly classic Speyside malt whiskies, Longmorn has always been much sought after 'top dressing' for many of Scotland's blended whiskies.

Always sweet and lightly peated it gives some of Scotland's finest sherry - cask malts

when so matured. This exceptional well - aged example is gently chewy with a long rich finish

This outstanding single malt whisky is distilled only at Longmorn Distillery, built last century, reputedly on the site of an ancient chapel. Hence the name Longmorn - from-Lhan-morgund - meaning 'place of the holy man'. After maturing in oak wood, only whisky selected by the proprietors from suitable casks and bottled under carefully controlled conditions can be sold as Longmorn.

Holland Alcomix b.v.

Single 282, 1016 A.D. Amsterdam

LONGMORN

35 years old

51,7 %

SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Distilled: 1968
Bottled: 2004
Society Cask code 7.25
Outturn 421 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburg
"Ginger chocolate and prunes"

Distilled near Elgin, at the place of the holy man, this is a rich offering. Mahogany in colour with a green tinge in the light. The first nose is surprisingly bright for its age with vanilla, sticky toffee pudding, figs and fuchsia. Neat, and most will probably drink it with little or no water, the vamilla continues an overall feel of old Spanish sherry brandy. A little water brings out the sweetness of bitter chocolate and then coffee. A venerable ancient.

LONGMORN

36 years old

52.1 %

SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date Distilled: Dec ´68
Date Bottled: May ´05
Outturn 467 Bottles
Society Cask Code 7.28
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinbur;
'Candyfloss and fireworks'

Constructed in 1894/95 this distillery has expanded in recent decades. The original water wheel still exists on the site. Long years in a sherry butt have lent this a remarkable prune juice colour. Raisins, currants and prunes, burnt sugar and treacle toffee join with paint on the nose.

The neat taste is very drying, but lovely and sweet. It speaks of candyfloss, fireworks, cloves, fruit and solvents. Water changes it. The nose freshens and softens - fruit and laundry, while the palate becomes wonderfully sweet, with crème brulee, vanilla toffee and orange notes. Good nose, fat taste and unusually, better with water.

LONGMORN

38 years old

49,8 %

SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Distilled Feb 68
Bottled Feb 06
Society Cask code 7.35
Outturn 393 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Dense dark fruits'

A 'Top Class' malt from an 1890's distillery standing between Rothes and Elgin, on the site of an ancient chapel and close to its sister distillery, Benriach.

The make is a key filling for the Chivas blends, so it is surprising that this cask escaped. An ex-0loroso butt has coloured this a glorious deep amber, with magenta lights.

The first nose is dense, dark and fruity - over-ripe fruit, becoming rum-soaked dried fruits and Christmas cake and resolving as angelica and glace peel; Muscat grapes; a nuttiness and an oilness, with boat varnish.

It drinks well straight; sweet and mouth-drying; rich, but not overpowering, with some sherry in the aftertaste.

Adding only a little water tends to flatten its complexity; raising varnish notes, introducing struck matches (what the Panel would we expect from sherry wood) and a trace of dried thyme. The flavor is pleasant and mild, fruity, with sherry and struck matches; rounded and aged.

LONGMORN

38 years old

53,6 %

SINGLE CASK
SCOTCH MALT WHISKY
Date Distilled Feb 68
Cask Type Sherry Butt
Date Bottled Jan 07
Society Cask No. 7.37
Outturn 467 Bottles
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
'Irresistible'

The distillery’s name means ‘place of the holy man’ and it allegedly lies on

The site of an ancient chapel. This mahogany dram from a sherry butt starts

out smelling of putty, balsa wood and glue but quickly turns to various fruits

(fruit compote, glace cherries, pomegranate, peach aand sherried trifle)

It also has some nutmeg and cloves. Water shifts it to clove-studded oranges,

tea leaves and kindling. The unreduced taste is irresistible – sweet, juicy fruit

dry wood and treacle toffee. It warms all the way down. Even water cannot

diminish its rich notes of toffee, candied peel and orange fondant

LONGMORN

1992

15 years old

46 %
Single Speyside Malt
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY SELECTION
Distilled: 20/04/92
Matured in a hogshead
Cask no. 53807
Bottled: 11/09/07
Natural Colour

Non Chillfiltering

The Ultimate Whisky Company,

NL

LONGMORN

Aged 16 years

48 %
Speyside
An initial big malt flavour that commands
a pause revealing a silky richnaturally sweet
and quietly complex character
Non - Chill Filtered Single Malt Scotch Whisky
The Longmorn Distilleries limited,
Longmorn Distillery, Elgin, Morayshire

Chivas Brothers, the scotch whisky and premium gin division of Pernod Ricard, has introduced two new expressions of Longmorn, its Speyside single malt.

The 16-year-old has been reformulated using traditional, ex-sherry and American oak casks to enrich the blend with pear drops, orchard fruits and more vanilla notes. It is priced at US$252 (per litre).

The Longmorn 23 Year Old, which comes in at a staggering $1,450 (1ltr) and is packaged in a lacquered wooden box, has intense notes of burnt orange, with hints of chocolate. A long, velvety finish.

The Longmorn The Distillers Choice was launched at the start of the year.

Master distiller Trevor Buckley said: “The craft production methods at Longmorn have not changed since the days of John Duff (founder, 1894) and today we reap the rewards of this commitment as they have allowed us to push the boundaries of quality and luxury on scotch whisky.”

Chivas Bros brand director, Miriam Eceolaza, said: “Through the addition of Longmorn 23 year Old

LONGMORN

Aged 40 years

53,5 %

SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Distilled March 1968
Cask: 1st Fill Sherry Butt
1 of only 381 Bottles
Society Single Cask No. 7.48
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society, The Vaults,
Leith, Edinburgh
"Cold nights and warm fires"

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved fro release as a Society

bottling. Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members are slected, true to our motto:”To leave no nose upturned”

The nose has a stunning mix of Christmas cake and mulled wine; also oily nuts, bananas and

rum. The reduced nose is well – balanced; treacle toffee, cream soda and vanilla. The palate

sweet, rich and dark. Spicy and sweet with water

Reminiscent of cold nights and warm fires, the nose had a stuning mix of Christmas cake and

mulled wine. There were also oily nuts, bananas and Demerara rum. The reduced nose was

well – balanced with treacle toffee, cream soda and vanilla. There was a little trace of rubber

but the palate is mostly sweet, rich and dark . With water there was a lot of sweetness (brown

sugar) and lots of spiciness. (Christmas cake mix).

The Panel also detected notes of egg nog. Brown bread, dates and vanilla. A perfect winter

warmer. From the distillery that was founded by John Duff in the late nineteenth century

LONGMORN

Aged 16 years

48 %

Non - Chill Filtered
The Longmorn Distilleries Limited
Longmorn Distillery, Elgin, Morayshire

LONGMORN

Aged 30 years

43 %
SINGLE SPEYSIDE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Distillers: The Longmorn - Glenlivet
Distilleries Ltd, longmorn
Matured & Bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin

LONGMORN
1 9 6 4
46 years old

47.7 %
GORDON & MACPHAIL
RESERVE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
EXCLUSIVELY BOTTLED BY
VAN WEES
Speyside
Distillation date: 24/12/1964
Cask type: 1st Fill Sherry Butts
Cask No. 5614
Bottling month: June 2011
378 Numbered Bottles
Unchillfiltered
Natural colour
Specially Selected, Produced and Bottled
by Gordon & Macphail, Elgin.

Characteristics:

Colour: Golden amber

Nose: Pronounced Sherry notes with a hint

of delicate estery freshness.

Some rich fruit – cake noted linger

Palate: Warming with hints of delicate spices,

Somerum and raisin influences emerge.

With a rounded Sherry sweetness

Finish: Long – with a hint of spices

LONGMORN
VINTAGE 1 9 9 6
17 years

57.4 %
CASK STRENGHT
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 01/05/96
Matured in a Sherry Butt
Cask no: 72324
Bottled: 11/10/13
621 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

LONGMORN
CASK STRENGHT
VINTAGE 1 9 9 6
17 years old

59.0 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 25/06/96
Matured in a Sherry Butt
Caskno: 105084
Bottled; 10/03/14
594 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Nonchillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

LONGMORN
42 years old

59.4 %
GORDON & MACPHAIL RESERVE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside
Exclusively Bottled for VAN WEES
Working with the specialists at
Gordon & Macphail Van Wees has
Selected the cask for this unique
bottling
Distillation date: 06/11/1969
Cask Number: 5295
Cask Type: 1st Fill Sherry Butt
Bottling Month: June 2011
Number of bottles 402
Bottle Number: 355
Unchillfiltered
Natural colour
Specially selected, produced and bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
The World's Leading Malt Whisky Specialist
Established 1895

Characteristics:

Colour: Dark golden.

Nose: Some aged leathernotes, with a touch of charred oak.

Fruity influences and a crème brulee sweetness.

Palate: Mouth watering – hints of chilli spices, some exotic

fruits influences emerge.

Rum and raisin linger with a herbal edge.

Finish: Long and warming.

LONGMORN
44 years old

55.4 %
GORDON & MACPHAIL RESERVE
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside
Exclusively Bottled for VAN WEES
Working with the specialists at
Gordon & Macphail Van Wees has
Selected the cask for this unique
bottling
Cask Number: 909
Cask Type: 1st Fill Sherry Butt
Bottling Month: June 2011
Number of bottles: 523
Bottle Number: 49
Unchillfiltered
Natural colour
Specially selected, produced and bottled by
Gordon & Macphail, Elgin
The World's Leading Malt Whisky Specialist
Esatablished 1895

Characteristics:

Colour: Dark golden.

Nose: Some aged leathernotes, with a touch of charred oak.

Fruity influences and a crème brulee sweetness.

Palate: Mouth watering – hints of chilli spices, some exotic

fruits influences emerge.

Rum and raisin linger with a herbal edge.

Finish: Long and warming.

LONGMORN
Aged 11 years

57.6 %
SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY
FROM A SINGLE CASK
Date Distilled 14th June 2002
Cask Type: Refill Barrel ex Bourbon
Outturn: One of only 246 Bottles
Society Single Cask: Code: 7.93
The Scotch Malt Whisky Society,
The Vaults, Leith, Edinburgh
A complex cornucopia

We, the Tasting Panel, verify that the Scotch Malt Whisky inside this bottle has been

passed under some of the most scrupulous noses in the world and approved for re-

lease as a Society bottling.

Only single cask whiskies that promise to intrigue, entertain and delight our members

are selected, true to our motto: “TO LEAVE NO NOSE UPTURNED “.

The multifarious nose has lemonade, sherbet, flapjacks, tobacco, leather, golden

syrup. Deep Heat and forests after rain, water opens a washhouse door onto butter –

cup meadows. The palate follows chocolate chip cookies with ginger cake, chilli,

lemon, light wood and almond fingers.

The nose held almost everything – lemonade, sherbet, cake mix, buttery flapjacks, pink

wafers, chocolate bourbons, light tobacco, leather satchels, honey, golden syrup, Deep

Heat, root ginger, dunnage warehouses and forests after rain.

The palate started sweet (chocolate chip cookies, sweetie cigarettes) before developing

heat (rich Jamaican ginger cake, chilli) finally lemon – scented air freshener and light

woodiness.

The reduced nose evoked an old – fashioned Steamie, with linens hung up; then delicate

suggestions of iced lemon cakes and buttercup meadows and the inside of a new shoe.

The palate now developed Fry’s Chocolate Cream and almond fingers.

The distillery is next to Benriach

LONGMORN
25 years

46 %
THE ULTIMATE SINGLE MALT
SCOTCH WHISKY
Speyside Single Malt
Distilled: 15/06/90
Matured in a Hogshead
Cask no: 8614
Bottled: 06/10/15
225 Numbered Bottles
Natural Colour
Non Chillfiltered
Selected by The Ultimate
Whisky Company.NL

LONGMORN
Estd 1894
40 %
Speyside Single Malt Scotch Whisky
THE DISTILLERS CHOICE
Longmorn Distillery, Elgin
Morayshire

Born during the golden era of luxery, a time of dazzling elegance and breath taking progress,

Longmorn was envisioned as rhe pinackle of exquisite taste. Not only did our forward

thinking founder draw on the latest advances in distilling to create a single malt of unparalleled

finesse, he made the astute and enlightened decision to extend the railway to our distillery door

to export his finely crafted single malt. More than a century on, its sumptuous character

is still revered by connoisseurs.

This exceptionally balanced single malt is matured in three different types of oak casks, First

fill American oak barrels bring sweet caramel notes, tempered with hints of warm spices from

ex – sherry casks, whilst traditional oak casks impart subtle depth and sweet treackle toffee notes.

LONGMORN

2002

15 years

57.4 %

Speyside Single Malt

The Ultimate Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Cask Strenght

Distilled: 17/09/02

Matured in a Bourbon Barrel

Cask No: 800636

Bottled: 26/01/18

219 Numbered Bottled

Bottle No: 18

Natural Colour

Nin Chillfiltered

Selected by The Ultimate Whisky Company.NL

LONGMORN - GLENLIVET
Longmorn, Elgin, Morayshire. Licentiehouder: The Longmorn - Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. Onderdeel van The Chivas & Glenlivet Group Ltd. Eigendom van Seagram.

John Duff, die in 1876 Glenlossie had gebouwd, samen met anderen, stichtte in 1894 Longmorn en zijn optimisme was zo groot in die hoogtij dagen van de whiskyboom, dat hij in 1897 Benriach ook nog bouwde.
Longmorn komt van Llanmorgund, wat land van de heilige man betekent. Het water en de turf komen van Mannoch Hill.
John Duff, die Glenlossie al eerder had verkocht, raakte in grote moeilijkheden en verkocht Longmorn aan James R. Grant, die werd opgevolgd door zijn zonen P.J.V. Grant en R.L. Grant.
De Grants van Longmorn en van Glen Grant werden in 1970 verenigd toen ze met Hill Thomson & Co, whiskyblenders te Edinburgh samen gingen met The Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distilleries Ltd.

In 1972

werd Longmorn uitgebreid van vier naar zes ketels.
In 1974

kwam het aantal ketels op acht.
In 1978

werd de groep overgenomen door Seagram.
De Mash tun is 7.56 ton.

De dertien Wash backs hebben een inhoud van elk 19.300 liter.
De vier Wash stills hebben elk een inhoud van 9700 liter, de vier Spirit stills elk 6500 liter en worden indirect met stoom verhit.
De capaciteit is 3.000.000 liter spirit per jaar.

Longmorn derives its name from the Gaelic Lann Marnoch meaning Church of St. Marnoch. Maernanog was one of the missionaries who brought Christanity to the Picts of Moray.
After his death in 625 AD, the feast day of St. Marnoch was celebrated in many Scottish towns.

Over the centuries the name evolved and was anglicised to become Longmorn.

Established in 1894, the distillery nestles quietly a few hundred yards off the main Elgin to Rothes road. Extensive warehousing surrounds a traditional looking Victorian Distillery. The Manager's office looks onto the courtyard, with the production buildings a distinctive pagoda roof set in one corner with the still house visible in the other-forming the southern part. The northern side consists of cask warehouses with the easten side being enclosed by the now disused raiway line.

The appearance of the distillery has changed very little over the years. Although the railway sidings to where materials were transported and from where whisky was shipped south are gone, their existence is still evident on the landscape.

The doubling of capacity of the distillery in the 1970s was contained in the original buildings by reusing space freed after the floor malting operation stopped.

Longmorn was built at the height of the whisky-boom; the demand for single malts in blending seemed never-ending.
However the local newspaper noted the arrival of Longmorn with the following article:

'Still another distillery! Evidnetly the latest one announced for Longmorn is not the last that this district will see. There is much talk of 'still more to follow'. I wonder how many new distilleries have been erected, or are in the course of construction, or have been arranged for within the last three years, within the district known as the Glenlivet radius.
I have lost count. But to this must be joined the fact that at the same time the old and existing distilleries have been lengthening their stakes and widening their stills to an unprecedented extent, some of them doubling and trebling their former output. When is all this going to end'.

The journalist only had to wait five years to find out the answer to his question. In December 1898, the whisky industrie was rocked by the collapse of Pattison, Elder & Co, Ltd, whisky Blenders & Exporters, based in Leith. The fraudulent company had fuelled false demand for malt whisky causing huge over-production. On the collapse they left vast debts which crippled many small distilling companies.
Although the crash brought about the end of John Duff's control, the quality of Longmorn's whisky was already established.

According to The National Guardian in 1897, it 'jumped into favour with buyers from the earliest day on which it was offered' indeed Longmorn is one of only a few distilleries to have enjoyed continuous production.

Longmorn emplys a completely balanced production cycle. From the 8 tonnes of grist mashed in the traditional geared tun, a wash back is charged with 38.800 litres of wort. After fermentation is completed the wash is equally divided between the four wash stills. The four wash and four spirit stills work in tandem - the four batches of low wines are mixed with the previous four batches of foreshots and feints, which results in each spirit still being charged with 6.500 litres.

The stills, small with wide necks promote complexity and give weight to the spirit. The slower distillation time and relatively high-necked stills give elegance and balance. It is this consistency and quality that not only makes Longmorn a Blender's favourite but also a 1st Class Single Malt.

Current Annual Distillery Output:

October 2005) 4 million litres of alcohol

Water Source: Local springs
Malt Source: Burghead Maltings
Malt Type: Optic - lightly peated
Malt Storage: 200 t
Mill Type: Porteus
Grist Storage: 10 t
Mash Tun Construction: Tradition rakes
Mash Size: 8 t
No. of Wash Backs: 8
Wash Back Construction: Stainless steel
Wash Back Capacity: 38.800 L
Yeast: Distillers
Wash Still Charge: 9.700 L
Heat Source: Steam coils
Spirit Still Shape: Traditional

1893

Longmorn Distillery Company formed by

John Duff,Charles Shirres & George Thomson

which founded already in 1876 Glenlossie

The cost amounts to 220.000 pound
1894

Longmorn Distillery starts production in

December
1897John Duff buys out hid other partners

John Duff builds a second distillery,

Benriach, which was first called Longmorn

No.2 next to Longmorn

1919

Masataka Taketsuru welcomed at Longmorn Distillery

he worked here 5 days

1898

John Duff declares bankruptcy.

The Pattison crash results in Duff relinquishing

control of both distilleries.

Responsibility passed to James R. Grant and

eventually to his two sons J.C Grant and

R.L. Grant, who kept up continuous production as

the Longmorn Distillery Co
1970

Amalgamated with Glenlivet & Glen Grant

Distilleries

and Hill. Thomson & Co, Ltd to form

The Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd.

Own floor malting ceases
1972

The number of stills increased from 4 to 6

The Spirit stills are converted to steam firing
1974

Another pair of stills installed
1978

Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd is acquired

by Seagram

through The Chivas & Glenlivet Group

1994

Wash stills are converted to steam firing
2001

The Chivas & Glenlivet Group is bought by

Pernod . Ricard

together with Diageo and Pernod - Ricard

takes over the Chivas Group

2004

A 17 year ol CS is released

2007

A 16 year old is released, replacing the

15 year old

2012

Production capacity expanded

2015

The Distiller's Choice is released

2016

A 16 year old, and a 23 year old released

2019

Three expressions in The Secret Speyside

Collection are released

2020

Capacity: 4.500.000 Ltrs

Output: 3.000.000 Ltrs

Born during the golden era of luxery, a time of dazzling elegance and breath taking progress,
Longmorn was envisioned as rhe pinackle of exquisite taste. Not only did our forward
thinking founder draw on the latest advances in distilling to create a single malt of unparalleled
finesse, he made the astute and enlightened decision to extend the railway to our distillery door

to export his finely crafted single malt. More than a century on, its sumptuous character
is still revered by connoisseurs.

This exceptionally balanced single malt is matured in three different types of oak casks, First
fill American oak barrels bring sweet caramel notes, tempered with hints of warm spices from
ex - sherry casks, whilst traditional oak casks impart subtle depth and sweet treackle toffee notes

Build on the site of an old chapel, the Longmorn distillery has been founded by John Duff and two associates, Charles Shirres and George Thomson in 1894, together with its neighbour Benriach.

John Duff founded the Glenlossie 19 years earlier.

Despite his good position within the whisky world in those days, John Duff was crippled by debts because of the great recession in the whisky industry at the end of the 19th century. He was forced to sell everything to pay his creditors.

Among the candidates for buying the distillery, John Grant (from Glen Grant) through his company Hill Thomson & Co who marketed amongst others the "Something Special" blend.

In the early 1970's, Longmorn merged with the distillery "The Glenlivet" to create "The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd".

The distillery doubled its production capacity in 1972 and again in 1974. The number of stills went from 4 to 8. Seagram purchased the distillery in 1977. Longmorn is one of the few distilleries who never stopped production. Longmorn is part of the collection "Heritage Collection".

The distilleries belonging to "The Chivas and Glenlivet Group", part of Seagram have been bought by the French group Pernod-Ricard on 19 december 2001.

Parts of the production are used in the blends Something Special and Queen Anna

Longmore has been available as a single malt since the launch of a 15-year-old in 1993, a bottling which sported a slightly fantastical label showing the distillery nestled in the midst of rugged peaks – it’s on the flatlands near Elgin.

This was replaced by an extravagantly packaged 16-year-old in 2007, but the needs of blenders have meant that, even with increased production, the vast bulk of Longmorn is ring-fenced, with a single-cask offering part of Chivas Brothers’ Cask Strength series. It is, thankfully, a regular sight on independent bottlers’ lists and, deservedly, has built up a cult following, particularly in Japan.

Longmorn was built by one of the 19th century’s most interesting whisky entrepreneurs, John Duff. He was born in Aberchirder, worked at Glendronach, and after designing nearby Glenlossie in 1876, headed to South Africa to try and start a whisky industry there. He failed (as did most, until very recently) and headed to the US to try his hand there. Knocked back once more he returned home and, undeterred, built Longmorn in 1893. Five years after he built another plant next door – Benriach.

It was not an ideal time to build two new plants and in 1899 he was forced to sell to James Grant. Although Duff’s business was not sound, his whisky was and by the start of the 20th century Longmorn was a prize malt, used in a variety of blends including VAT 69 and Dewar’s. In 1920, the young Masataka Taketsuru, one of the fathers of Japanese whisky and founder of Nikka, spent a short period working in the distillery. The stills at Nikka’s two distilleries are said to be modelled on Longmorn’s.

In 1970, the Grant family and blender Hill Thompson (which had a long relationship with Longmorn) merged with The Glenlivet & Glen Grant Distilleries Ltd to create The Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd. This was bought by Seagram in 1977 and (minus Glen Grant) is now part of Chivas Brothers.

1893

John Duff, having already built

Glenlossie some 20 years earlier,

builds Longmorn distillery with partners

George Thomson, Charles Shirres

Output: 9000 Ltrs a year

1897

Duff buys out his partners in the company

and goes on with Charles Shirres: Duff & Shirres

1898

Duff decides to build Benriach distillery

next door to Longmorn

1899

With the whisky industry teetering,

Duff is forced to sell his business to

James Grant

1920

Masataka Taketsuru, founder of Japanese

company Nikka, trains at Longmorn

1970

Hill Thompson and The Glenlivet & Glen Grant

Distilleries merge to form The Glenlivet Distilleries

1972

Longmorn's stills are increased from four to

six and the spirit stills switched to steam heating

1974

Two further stills are installed

1977

Seagram acquires the distillery through

its acquisition of The Glenlivet Distilleries

1994

Longmorn's wash stills are brought into

line with its spirit stills with steam heating

added

2001

Pernod Ricard buys out Seagram's

Chivas Brothers whisky portfolio

2007

Longmorn 16 Year Old is launched

2012

The distillery is refurbished with upgrades

made to the mash tun and washbacks

CAPACITY (MLPA)

4.5005

CONDENSER TYPE

Shell and tube - multi pass

FERMENTATION TIME

50hrs

GRIST WEIGHT (T)

8.5

HEAT SOURCE

Steam - thermo compression/heating coils

MALT SPECIFICATION

Non peated

MALT SUPPLIER

Bairds, Boort

MASH TUN TYPE

Lauter

NEW-MAKE STRENGTH

72%

SPIRIT STILL CHARGE (L)

7,200

SPIRIT STILL SHAPE

Onion

STILLS i

8 (4 wash, 4 spirit)

WASH STILL CHARGE (L)

9,750

WASH STILL SHAPE

Onion

WASH STILL SIZE (L)

10,800

WASHBACK SIZE (L)

39,000

WASHBACK TYPE

Stainless steel

WASHBACKS i

WATER SOURCE

Bore Hole

WORT CLARITY

Less than 20 EBC

YEAST TYPE

Kerry

Pernod Ricard

2001 - present

Chivas Brothers

Seagram Distillers

1977 - 2001

The Glenlivet Distilleries

1970 - 1977

Longmorn-Glenlivet Distillery Co

1899 - 1970

John Duff

1893 - 1899

LONGMORN 1961 ‘TWINS’ COMPLETE G&M SERIES

A pair of 57-year-old Longmorn single malts, priced at £30,000 a set, have been released by independent bottler Gordon & MacPhail (G&M) to complete its ultra-rare Private Collection series.

Longmorn 1961 Private Collection bottles

Rare Speysiders: The pair complete G&M’s Private Collection alongside Linkwood and The Glenlivet

The ‘twin’ 1961 single cask whiskies are the oldest Longmorn releases to date, and were chosen for bottling by G&M’s Stuart and Richard Urquhart, who are identical twins.

Sourced from stock laid down by the twins’ grandfather, George Urquhart, the two whiskies from the Speyside distillery will be sold as a pair, with only 97 sets available worldwide.

Both Longmorns were matured in first-fill Sherry hogsheads and bottled at cask strength, with Stuart and Richard Urquhart choosing a whisky each:

Longmorn 1961, chosen by Richard Urquhart: European oak cask 508; 45% abv; ‘mahogany with red highlights; rich, abundant nose, complex aromatic flavours and perfumed top notes’

Longmorn 1961 chosen by Stuart Urquhart: American oak cask 512; 40.8% abv; ‘slightly lighter in colour … sweeter on the nose and fruity on the palate, with notes of black cherry, raspberry and dried vanilla’

‘This is a unique and exclusive opportunity to taste a remarkable piece of Scotland’s liquid history,’ said Stephen Rankin, G&M’s director of prestige.

‘Owners of these twin decanters will be able to explore the similarities and nuances of the oldest Longmorn single malt Scotch whiskies ever bottled.’

Each whisky comes in a numbered, hand-blown decanter, with a book written by rare whisky specialist Jonny McCormick and a certificate of authenticity signed by each brother.

G&M has also teamed up with Prof David Purdie, a fellow of the Royal College of Physicians, to examine the impact of heritage, environment and location on the character of twins, resulting in two short films on the G&M website.

The release of the twin Longmorns completes the Private Collection series, which also includes Private Collection Glenlivet 1943 and Private Collection Linkwood 1956

Longmorn was built at the height of the whisky-boom; the demand for single malts in blending seemed never-ending.
However the local newspaper noted the arrival of Longmorn with the following article:
'Still another distillery! Evidnetly the latest one announced for Longmorn is not the last that this district will see. There is much talk of 'still more to follow'. I wonder how many new distilleries have been erected, or are in the course of construction, or have been arranged for within the last three years, within the district known as the Glenlivet radius.
I have lost count. But to this must be joined the fact that at the same time the old and existing distilleries have been lengthening their stakes and widening their stills to an unprecedented extent, some of them doubling and trebling their former output. When is all this going to end'.
The journalist only had to wait five years to find out the answer to his question. In December 1898, the whisky industrie was rocked by the collapse of Pattison, Elder & Co, Ltd, whisky Blenders & Exporters, based in Leith. The fraudulent company had fuelled false demand for malt whisky causing huge over-production. On the collapse they left vast debts which crippled many small distilling companies.
Although the crash brought about the end of John Duff's control, the quality of Longmorn's whisky was already established.
According to The National Guardian in 1897, it 'jumped into favour with buyers from the earliest day on which it was offered' indeed Longmorn is one of only a few distilleries to have enjoyed continuous production.
Longmorn emplys a completely balanced production cycle. From the 8 tonnes of grist mashed in the traditional geared tun, a wash back is charged with 38.800 litres of wort. After fermentation is completed the wash is equally divided between the four wash stills. The four wash and four spirit stills work in tandem - the four batches of low wines are mixed with the previous four batches of foreshots and feints, which results in each spirit still being charged with 6.500 litres.
The stills, small with wide necks promote complexity and give weight to the spirit. The slower distillation time and relatively high-necked stills give elegance and balance. It is this consistency and quality that not only makes Longmorn a Blender's favourite but also a 1st Class Single Malt.

Born during the golden era of luxery, a time of dazzling elegance and breath taking progress,
Longmorn was envisioned as rhe pinackle of exquisite taste. Not only did our forward
thinking founder draw on the latest advances in distilling to create a single malt of unparalleled
finesse, he made the astute and enlightened decision to extend the railway to our distillery door to export his finely crafted single malt. More than a century on, its sumptuous character
is still revered by connoisseurs.

This exceptionally balanced single malt is matured in three different types of oak casks, First
fill American oak barrels bring sweet caramel notes, tempered with hints of warm spices from
ex - sherry casks, whilst traditional oak casks impart subtle depth and sweet treackle toffee notes

Build on the site of an old chapel, the Longmorn distillery has been founded by John Duff and two associates, Charles Shirres and George Thomson in 1894, together with its neighbour Benriach.

John Duff founded the Glenlossie 19 years earlier.

Among the candidates for buying the distillery, John Grant (from Glen Grant) through his company Hill Thomson & Co who marketed amongst others the "Something Special" blend.

In the early 1970's, Longmorn merged with the distillery "The Glenlivet" to create "The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd".

The distilleries belonging to "The Chivas and Glenlivet Group", part of Seagram have been bought by the French group Pernod-Ricard on 19 december 2001.

Parts of the production are used in the blends Something Special and Queen Anna

THE SECRET SPEYSIDE COLLECTION

July 2019

Secret Speyside Collection: Braes of Glenlivet, Caperdonich, Glen Keith, Longmorn

The Secret Speyside Collection is the largest range of single malts yet released by Chivas Brothers, covering 15 whiskies from four of the region’s distilleries: Braes of Glenlivet, Caperdonich, Glen Keith and Longmorn.

It’s perhaps open to question just how ‘secret’ Longmorn is – the single malt has been launched and relaunched in recent years, amid some controversy over pricing – but it’s certainly rare to see releases from the other three distilleries.

If you’ve never heard of Braes of Glenlivet, that’s because it’s been known as Braeval since 1994, to avoid confusion with its more illustrious stablemate. All three of the whiskies here were produced – just – before the change of name.

Whether you buy into regional flavour profiles or not, Richard Woodard finds that there’s a definite theme here of Speysidean fruit flavours running through all four of the distilleries on show, with some of the highlights including an ‘opulent’ 30-year-old Braes, and a ‘serious, but fun’ unpeated offering from closed distillery Caperdonich.

Meanwhile, there’s little to choose between a consistently excellent trio of malts from Glen Keith, and Longmorn’s exotic, hedonistic fruit character is very much to the fore, especially in a standout 23-year-old.

The fruit-fest is only interrupted by two peated Caperdonich bottlings, with the ‘wonderfully aromatic and exotic’ 21-year-old a real highlight. Caperdonich’s two oldest Secret Speyside expressions – 25-year-old peated and 30-year-old unpeated variants – are still in cask and will be released later in the year.

The accompanying music takes in the diverse delights of The Killers, Belle & Sebastian, Mascagni, Elvis Costello, Thom Yorke and Cowboy Junkies. Click on the links in ‘Right Place, Right Time’ to listen.

Braes of Glenlivet 25 Years Old

Braes of Glenlivet 27 Years Old

Braes of Glenlivet 30 Years Old

Caperdonich 18 Years Old Peated

Caperdonich 21 Years Old Peated

Caperdonich 21 Years Old Unpeated

Caperdonich 25 Years Old Unpeated

Glen Keith 21 Years Old

Glen Keith 25 Years Old

Glen Keith 28 Years Old

Longmorn 18 Years Old

Longmorn 23 Years Old

Longmorn 25 Years Old

BRAES OF GLENLIVET 25 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Braes of Glenlivet 25 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

All is sweetness here: richly fruited, with cantaloupe and apricot, then more exotic hints of lemongrass and kaffir lime, before the cask chimes in with coconut and vanilla. Those cask-driven notes give a little lift to what might otherwise be a sugary fruit-fest, as do the perfumed spices – coriander, crushed cardamom pod. These are content to sit at the back while the fruits leap around centre-stage. Water brings red apple, dessert pear and some honey and waxed floorboard.

PALATE

Immediately sweet, but not cloying. There’s a dryness from the cask and a fair prickle of heat. Tangy marmalade notes appear, again stopping it all from becoming sickly. Well-mannered. Water helps to open things up, allowing those perfumed spices to say a few lines.

FINISH

Stewed red fruits, vanilla custard. Slightly drying.

CONCLUSION

I wonder if 48% is the correct bottling strength here. Much to admire, but not showing its best without a decent splash of water.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Enjoying a fruitarian diet on Cantaloupe Island.

BRAES OF GLENLIVET 27 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Braes of Glenlivet 27 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Ripe red apple jumps out first, with a savoury edge – a dusting of nutmeg – pulling at the fruit. Then there’s a swirl of yoghurt-covered hazelnuts, some ginger and finally some butterscotch. Quite perky, with good breadth. Water brings out lighter citrus flavours and a beguiling hedgerow note, so it’s worth a splash.

PALATE

There’s that red apple again, then a hint of black banana, wood polish and richer, dark fruits – blackcurrants, damsons and super-ripe plums. Then sweeter tones of light butterscotch and barley sugar. Water teases out a little liquorice (comfits), but go easy or you’ll sacrifice the fruit.

FINISH

A lift of acidity and, after a while, some sweet caramel.

CONCLUSION

It’s a bit of a shape-shifter, but the fruit is the main attraction. Excellent balance.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Riding the wave with The Changingman.

BRAES OF GLENLIVET 30 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained

Braes of Glenlivet 30 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

50.3%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Not only the oldest and strongest of the Braes trio, but also the palest. A little shy after the exuberance of its younger siblings, but there’s some plum and light vanilla, then densely packed aromas of date and fig. With time, some brighter red fruit aromas of loganberry and red cherry. With more time, light ginger, fenugreek and then lime flower. Finally, much sweeter scents of fondant icing. Take your time!

PALATE

Velvety, rich, opulent, with the fruit giving way to a wonderfully savoury tang of rancio. Damson jam on hot buttered toast, then a little coconut and overripe banana right at the back of the mouth. Despite the higher abv, you don’t need water.

FINISH

Fresh pear to cleanse the palate.

CONCLUSION

Here the natural sweetness of the distillate is counterbalanced by judicious cask influence and the complexity and depth that only time can bring. Don’t rush this though, as it’s quite shy.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Wading through the water, going with the gentle flow of Bea’s Song.

CAPERDONICH 18 YEARS OLD PEATED

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Caperdonich 18 Years Old Peated

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Smoky & Peaty

NOSE

Whoah Nelly! Tasting the two peated Capers last, it’s quite a shift after the sweet fruit-fest of the other malts in this range. Smouldering bonfire, then camphor and that coal tar soap my grandmother insisted on buying. The peat’s very much in charge here, but there are lingering scents of poached pear that come into sharper relief as the smoke blows off. There’s a herbal element that links with the smoke to create a hint of Lapsang. It’s distinctive, but not overpowering. Water douses the smoke into Plasticine, but brings out zesty orange.

PALATE

Savoury smoke, more luscious fruit – a sweet, baked apple pie with a slightly caught crust. A little hot, with a blast of cayenne pepper. Some orange zest and ginger playing catch-up, but the enjoyably aromatic smoke is quite dominant.

FINISH

Smoked meat with a honey glaze.

CONCLUSION

There’s lots to like here, but it’s a little fierce and ragged around the edges. A promising nose, but the palate is slightly underwhelming.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Lively, but just a little too Vicious at times.

CAPERDONICH 21 YEARS OLD PEATED

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Caperdonich 21 Years Old Peated

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Smoky & Peaty

NOSE

Only three years older, but the smoke has retreated and evolved into the aromatic scent of olive wood embers, with an accompanying waft of the smokehouse. This allows the lush and luscious fruit to come through – ripe, bright clementine in particular. Next comes a little cigar box and richer cedar wood notes. The smoke just gentles these flavours along, without ever seeking to dominate them.

PALATE

Mouth-coating, almost oily, with rich mandarin before smoked meat builds through the mid-palate towards an explosive finish. The smoke is much less shy now, returning to bonfire-and-camphor country. Water flattens, rather than enhances, but brings added sweetness.

FINISH

Again, that elusive herbal quality. Long and savoury, with perfumed smoke.

CONCLUSION

The difference between these two malts feels like more than three years – again illustrating the limited relevance of age statements. This has more poise, and is wonderfully aromatic and exotic. Nicely done.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Lost among the temples, Alone in Kyoto.

CAPERDONICH 21 YEARS OLD UNPEATED

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Caperdonich 21 Years Old Unpeated

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Quite delicate orchard fruit notes of russet apple and slightly overripe (faintly brown at the tip) pear. There’s a verdant quality here of sun-warmed summer lawn, vetiver and herb patch. It lacks a little magnitude, but makes up for this with subtlety.

PALATE

Broader than the nose suggests. A little fiery, but always this mouth-coating creaminess carrying cask-driven notes of vanilla, edging into condensed milk. Quite punchy and certainly mouth-filling. Water coaxes out more creaminess and a super-sweet vanilla-coated pear character.

FINISH

Clean, slight edge of spearmint, then more sweetness (Juicy Fruit chewing gum).

CONCLUSION

It’s a sweetie, and it’s a cracker. Just the right side of sugary.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Unable to sleep on a hot summer’s night, you amble into the garden to enjoy the Dawn Chorus.

CAPERDONICH 25 YEARS OLD UNPEATED

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Caperdonich 25 Years Old Unpeated

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Rich & Round

NOSE

Bigger and richer from the outset. A densely-packed nose of sweet plum, cooking spices, then rich cassis and mulberry. Where the 21 was a little shy, this is much more assertive. The more restrained orchard fruits take a while to come through, but they’re there. Polished desk and then more tropical fruits emerge. Slightly herbal and hard to pin down. Water brings out a new hedgerow scent of white flowers, then camomile.

PALATE

First the orchard fruits come through, having overcome their initial shyness. Then some earthy, age- and cask-related notes of polished wood and book cupboard. Only late on do darker notes of blackberry and even blueberry emerge, along with bitter black chocolate. Builds slowly to a crescendo, in contrast to the nose. Water sweetens and brings more overt cask notes.

FINISH

Chocolate, caramel, Fruit ‘n’ Nut bar. Endless.

CONCLUSION

A highly refined summer pudding in a glass. A serious whisky, but one that knows how to have fun.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

One of Mozart’s lighter moments: ‘Pa… pa-pa!’

GLEN KEITH 21 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Glen Keith 21 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

43%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Deeply fruity notes of juicy orange and pineapple cubes. The texture hints at a syrupy sweetness, accompanied by the smooth tones of lightly waxed wood. Then this melds into creamy citrus, with summer hedgerow notes of honeysuckle and jasmine. There’s lightness, but depth too. Water lightens the fruit into reminiscences of Quosh (orange & pineapple), but doesn’t reveal anything particularly new.

PALATE

We’re back in that hedgerow at first, then there’s freshly shaved ginger (minus the heat), followed by bolder wood-derived notes of cashew and almond. A prickle of heat, even at 43%, but this is all about the fruit, which returns with a vengeance and in tropical guise.

FINISH

Slightly drying, but still perky.

CONCLUSION

Pure drinking pleasure. Not overly complex, but you can’t keep this down. A labrador puppy of a whisky.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

A summery single malt like this needs a Song for Sunshine.

GLEN KEITH 25 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Glen Keith 25 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

43%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

The polished patina seen in the 21 jumps out again, this time subsiding swiftly in favour of delightful, sun-warmed Amalfi lemon and Valencia orange (very Mediterranean), along with a slug of custard (not quite so Mediterranean). Smooth, seamless and utterly charming. Water coaxes out even more aromas: heady tangerine, Rose’s Lime Cordial.

PALATE

Ginger and warming baking spices, again that tiny prickle of heat, then darker flavours rush in – cola cube and dark marmalade. It’s lifted by an undercurrent of a greengage pudding spiked with cinnamon. Water brings more ginger and a bit of grip from the cask.

FINISH

Super-tangy, with some wood tannins bringing depth and structure.

CONCLUSION

The nose is a delight, but overshadows the palate a little. Still, a complex whisky that shows distillery character and cask in harmony.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Such balance and harmony can only be Fleeting.

GLEN KEITH 28 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Glen Keith 28 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

43%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Spice to the fore – those baking spices from the 25, but there’s much more heft and muscle here as cask and age assert themselves. A wave of dark fudge softens any austerity, and then the fruit comes through: mango, ripe orange, shifting into damson and then date. Water takes us back to the hedgerow, as well as the playroom (Fuzzy-Felt), before the spice returns.

PALATE

Smooth and sumptuous, but with an added savoury depth now of allspice, then liquorice and bitter, dark chocolate. The fruit hints at a top-class crème de cassis from Dijon, and it builds into an indulgent slice of Jamaican ginger bread. Big. Delicious.

FINISH

Chewy tannins and whispers of rancio. Later, stewed blackcurrants in dark chocolate. Very long.

CONCLUSION

This ticks every box of complexity and depth. There are times when the cask threatens to become too assertive, but it always steps back from the brink. All three of these bottlings trace a clear line of distillery character and evolution.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

It’s a stadium-filling, Runaway success…

LONGMORN 18 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Longmorn 18 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Unctuous exotic fruit – walking through a sunlit orangery, but there’s mango and apricot growing here too. This drives off to leave more fruit, but of the orchard variety this time. Then there’s lots of vanilla and creamy fudge, giving a feeling of decadence. Otherwise, the cask is relaxed enough to sit back and watch, contributing a note of pencil sharpener. Water sweetens things even more, bringing out orange zest and barley sugar.

PALATE

Big and exotic, but with quite a prickle from the alcohol. It feels hotter than 48% and this rather conceals the perfumed fruit of the nose, leaving coconut and vanilla in their place. Water helps enormously, opening up the fruit and bringing notes of anise and then mint.

FINISH

Super-sweet, dripping with mango juice.

CONCLUSION

Plenty to like here (if you’re a fan of sweet fruit), but the palate is a little out of kilter.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Keep your balance, or you’ll be Falling Down.

LONGMORN 23 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Longmorn 23 Years Old

PRICE BAND

£ £ £ £ £

ABV

48%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Indulgent, seamless peach folded into Chantilly cream with a slice of lemon meringue on the side. Absurdly, hedonistically fruity, like Glen Keith on steroids. There’s spice too – ginger, but also something dark and reduced. It’s complex. Water dumbs things down a little, with light fruit cordial notes.

PALATE

Wonderful texture, with an explosion of tropical fruit darkening into cassis and black cherry, which in turn tips over into a slight, but pleasing, bitterness. Some dark chilli chocolate. Water makes it all a little too austere.

FINISH

Delightfully sweet. Luxuriant.

CONCLUSION

A crowd-pleasing blockbuster of ripe fruit, but a hydrophobic one.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

A winning Intermezzo just before the final act.

LONGMORN 25 YEARS OLD

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Longmorn 25 Years Old

ABV

52.2%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Fruity & Spicy

NOSE

Compared to the fruit-driven delights of the preceding pair, the cask is very much in charge here, and the higher alcohol is also immediately noticeable. The oak brings out sweet spices – cinnamon especially – then there’s dessert apple. A marmalade tang lurks at the back, before giving way to dark set honey. The combination of orange and assertive wood brings to mind a first-division VSOP Cognac. Water allows that orange character – mandarin now – to fully shine, with creamy light spice, cider apple and aromas of a stable hay rack.

PALATE

There’s texture from the higher alcohol, but the extra heat is manageable. Longmorn’s fruits have retreated before the sawmill buzz of active oak. There’s a tang of black cherries in kirsch as it fades. Water dries a little, but also brings light spices and that slightly bitter black cherry note again.

FINISH

Dark chocolate.

CONCLUSION

The cask is just a little too dominant here for my taste, but it’s still a decent dram. A darker, more forbidding Longmorn.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

It’s going to be a Black Night.

LONGMORN 53 YEARS OLD, 1966, PRIVATE COLLECTION (GORDON & MACPHAIL)

SCORE

Scoring explained >

Longmorn 53 Years Old, 1966, Private Collection (Gordon & Macphail)

ABV

46%

PRODUCTION TYPE

Single malt whisky

REGION

Speyside

FLAVOUR CAMP

Rich & Round

NOSE

Big, bold and heavily Sherried, this immediately hits you with balsamic, tamari soy sauce, walnut, raisin and prune. In time you notice a nodule of sweetness – black cherry chocolate, chestnut honey – then an earthy element starts to build. You’re in the woods in winter and the last berry is hanging there on the briar. In time, the scene switches indoors, sipping Sherry in a cigar lounge.

PALATE

Dried fruit starts things off along with oil of clove, espresso and a concentrated quality akin to Marmite. The tannins come out to play early on, but they’re not overly fierce or astringent. Keep things unwatered and you can pick out earthy, fungal notes, clinker and dried fruits.

FINISH

Drying. Figs, calamus.

CONCLUSION

Marmite on the palate and in the mind as well. For me, Longmorn’s fruits are long gone.

RIGHT PLACE, RIGHT TIME

Time continues to press onwards, ‘…he lets it go on, everything, just as it will, turns the wheel…

Longmorn 30yo ‘Lost In Time’ 47.5% 54.4% Quite shy, then doughy hot cross buns, caramelised fruit syrups, toffee/banoffie pie, malt extract and heavy honey. It’s slightly nuttier than some bottlings. Starts oily with some Brazil nut but things quickly fall apart. After the complexities of the nose it’s ultimately flat and showing signs of its age. Ah well. **(*)