Longmorn 30yo

Longmorn 30yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Amber red 
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, golden syrup, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla, clotted cream, wet stones. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, tingly, hot. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Clotted cream, raisins, cloves, nutmeg, golden syrup, butter, barley sugar, wet stones, hints of molasses. 
Finish: Medium. Nutmeg, black pepper, cloves, raisins, hints of molasses. 

Comments: 

A gentle, sweet, syrupy dram. The bitterness is that of molasses and slightly burnt caramel, but the predominant notes are creamy golden syrup, and buttery barley sugar. Very good whisky indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longmorn 11yo 2011/2022

Longmorn 11yo 2011/2022

Thompson Bros
Single malt - Speyside
Bright gold
53.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, apricots, aluminium foil, black pepper, shredded wheat, hints of butterscotch. With water, applesauce, rainier cherries, magic marker, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, tingly, oily. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Malted grains, apricots, peaches, applesauce, black pepper, shredded wheat, rainier cherries, hints of bananas. With water, malted grains, shredded wheat, apricots. 
Finish: Long. Applesauce, rainier cherries, shredded wheat, black pepper. 

Comments: 

Brilliant young-ish whisky, the cask seems to have been quite active. Lots of fruity, estery notes, with sweet spice that I associate with wheat rather than barley. Highly enjoyable, and surprising.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longmorn 13yo 2009/2022

Longmorn 13yo 2009/2022

Strictly Limited, Carn Mor
Single malt - Speyside 
Golden, hints of pink
47.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Vanilla, cornflakes, popcorn, dulce de leche, white pepper, hints of lemon zest. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, cool, expands slightly. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Orange peel, cornflakes, dulce de leche, butterscotch, popcorn, caramel, raisins, hints of nutmeg. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, butterscotch, dulce de leche, milk, hints of white pepper. 

Comments: 

A lovely little Longmorn, lots of milk and caramel, but not overly lactic. It tastes almost exactly like a sweet, highly buttered popcorn. There are some other notes as well, orange peel and a little white pepper, but these don’t detract at all. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longmorn 22yo 1997/2020

Longmorn 22yo 1997/2020

Single Malts of Scotland, Specialty Drinks Ltd
Single malt - Speyside 
Bright gold 
58.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Jasmine tea, honey, fresh baked bread, black tea, strawberry laces, orange peel, hints of sea salt. With water, sweeter, honey, orange peel, hints of strawberries. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body, astringent, hot, expands. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Honey, fresh baked bread, vanilla, pomeloes, white grapes, black tea, marshmallows. With water, black tea, jasmine tea, strawberry laces. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, white grapes, marshmallows, jasmine tea. 

Comments: 

Cask 163301. A lovely combination of robust and delicate, lots of citrus and grape notes, together with floral and slightly tannic jasmine. Big intense finish, opens up and lengthens once water is added. Very nice indeed. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longmorn 15yo 2003/2019

Longmorn 15yo 2003/2019

Old Particular, Douglas Laing
Single malt - Speyside
White wine
48.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange juice, white grapes, ginger powder, toasted coconut, hints of caramel. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, cool, loose, turns watery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Barley sugar, orange juice, green apples, white grapes, hints of cherry. 
Finish: Long. Green apples, orange juice, raisins, toasted coconut. 

Comments: 

Cask DL 13067. Tart, gingery, plenty of coconut. It's not very sweet, and uncommonly for Longmorns that I've had, not very sherried. There's plenty of fruity notes, and something wonderfully sharp in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Longmorn 31yo 1983/2014

Longmorn 31yo 1983/2014

Bottled on licence, Gordon & Macphail
Single malt - Speyside
Amber
43% ABV
Dram

Nose: Honey, chocolate, lemon zest, orange juice, rhubarb and custard sweets. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, watery, slippery. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Chocolate, fresh baked bread, lemon zest, honey, caramel. 
Finish: Short. Fresh baked bread, peanuts, caramel, hints of lemon zest. 

Comments: 

This old Longmorn was just crying out to me from the top shelf in the whisky bar. I was not disappointed, it's so classically structured - sweetness and light on the nose, then more flavourful and robust (hello fresh bread!) on the tongue, and finishing in a more savoury, less sweet fashion. Wonderful.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Longmorn 28yo 1984/2013 (Cask 3213)

Longmorn 28yo 1984/2013 (Cask 3213)

Rare Select, Montgomerie's
Single malt - Speyside
Silvery sunshine
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, vanilla, cola nuts, apples, hints of peppermint, hints of jackfruit. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, slippery, mouth coating. 
Tasting: Sweet. Apples, raisins, jackfruit, milk, hints of brown paper. 
Finish: Long. Cream, jackfruit, peppermint, brass polish. 

Comments: 

This whisky apparently spent 28 years in a sherry cask, yet never deepened in colour beyond a silvery early dawn sunshine yellow. It tastes sherries though, plenty of fruit, even tropical fruit, yet overlaid with a strong peppermint note that lasts and lasts. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 7.101 (Longmorn 10 yo 2003/2014)

SMWS 7.101 (Longmorn 10 yo 2003/2014)

2014, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Pale gold
60.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: White chocolate, vanilla, white pepper, lemons, hints of pineapples.
Mouthfeel: Light body, hot, tingly, loose.
Tasting: Sweet. Chilli peppers, white pepper, vanilla, white chocolate, pineapples, lemons, key lime pie.
Finish: Medium. White pepper, vanilla, pineapples, key lime pie.

Comments:

Spicy, and very fruity, and quite hard to drink due to the strength. Surprisingly doesn't take water well, the heavy complexity so apparent at the higher strength somehow evaporates even with a tiny dribble of water. Needs more aging perhaps?

Verdict:

Not bad.

SMWS 7.91 (Longmorn 20 yo 1993/2013)

SMWS 7.91 (Longmorn 20 yo 1993/2013)

2013, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dark gold
50.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Orange peel, custard, apples, butterscotch, hints of leather. With water, pomegranate, red grapes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, thickens, mouth coating. 
Tasting: Sweet. Custard, strawberries, apples, cloves, lemon zest, hints of tobacco. With water, tobacco, banana, leather. 
Finish: Long. Tobacco, leather, apples, cloves, custard. 

Comments: 

Oof! This whisky smacked me in the mouth with its complexity. Lots of lovely sweet spicy tannic flavours. It was a little full on, so I added water. Then it became much more like a good bourbon, bursting with tobacco and banana, but without the cardboardy taste that drags down some bourbons. Very nice indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 7.39 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

SMWS 7.39 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Dark amber
51% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, plums, prunes, hints of walnuts.
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, thickens, slightly watery around the edges.
Tasting: Sweet. Raisins, oranges, plums, orange peel, prunes, vanilla, honey, cinnamon, hints of walnuts.
Finish: Long. Raisins, walnuts, cinnamon, oranges, honey.

Comments:

Sweet and sherried, with great structure and body. A whisky at the pinnacle of perfection. I could drink this all night long, without water, because that's surely as good as it gets.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 7.38 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

SMWS 7.38 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Mahogany
52.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Sherry, coriander, oak, vanilla, apples, orange peel, hints of black pepper.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, watery, thickens slightly in the mouth, astringent.
Tasting: Sweet. Coriander, chilli pepper, rubber bands, apples, marmalade, hints of brown paper.
Finish: Long. Red grapes, warm, salty.

Comments:

The oldest whisky I've tasted so far (and, given the credit crunch, the oldest whisky I'm likely to taste for a while). Sherry cask matured, with a tang of coriander seed that differentiates it from the best sherried Glen Grants. Very tasty, and unique.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

SMWS 7.36 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

SMWS 7.36 (Longmorn 38 yo 1968/2007)

2007, SMWS
Single malt - Speyside
Amber red
53.5% ABV
Dram

Nose: Butter, custard, figs, dried apricots, caramel, honey, hints of anise.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slightly astringent, tingly.
Tasting: Sweet. Honey, mint, apricots, sherry, custard, hints of prunes.
Finish: Short. Mint, cool, chilli.

Comments:

It's been a long time since I had a Longmorn, and a while since I've had the sadly discontinued 15 yo. This one had a lovely, dark, syrupy colour - something that promises sherry, fruit and thick smooth whisky. Well, 2 out of 3 isn't bad I suppose. Surprisingly minty too, with a delicious chilli hit in the finish.

Verdict:

I like this.

Longmorn 15 yo

Longmorn 15 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Light gold
45% ABV
Dram

Nose: Baked apples, blueberries, raisins, cream, hint of ratafia.
Mouthfeel: Medium body, smooth, syrupy.
Tasting: Sweet. Sherry, custard, fresh baked bread, apple, pear, hint of marshmallow.
Finish: Short. Mint, vanilla, cherries.

Comments:

Wow - this is good. I can see the complaints when Chivas replaced this expression (it's discontinued now) with the 16 yo. While the new one is good, it's not as good as this. I wish I had a bottle to drink, but I think prices have gone up too high to make it worth my while. It used to be very underpriced / underrated.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Longmorn 16 yo

Longmorn 16 yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Speyside
Gold
48% ABV
Dram

Nose: Oak, lemons, thyme, beer, cinnamon.
Mouthfeel: Smooth, syrupy, medium body, very pleasant.
Tasting: Sour. Grapefruit, lemons, bubble gum, hint of rose, hint of soap.
Finish: Medium. Toast, slight hint of fruit.

Comments:

Decent Speyside. The packaging is pretty snazzy too. It's also a fairly generous ABV for an official bottling - Chivas gets it. Not many independent bottlings out there though.

Verdict:

I like this.