Review by: The Muskox

Longmorn’s days as an unappreciated distillery are long-past, I think. At least if auction prices are anything to go by. This version is an… official bottling? I guess?… distilled in 1991. Longmorn switched from direct-fired stills to the standard steam jackets in 1992, and it’s the direct-fired Longmorns like this one that are really grabbing people’s attention.

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Distillery: Longmorn.

Bottler: Official bottling.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 52.5%, cask strength.

Age: 17 years old. Distilled in 1991. Bottled in 2009.

Color: Colour added(?), un-chillfiltered.

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Nose: Pleasant fruity sweetness. Tangerine, a little pineapple, lychee, lemon zest, and some red grapes. A bit of a floral character – the tropical room at a botanical garden. Some robustness underneath – rich caramel, brioche crust, and nut brittle.

A dribble of water brought out more floral notes and brighter fruit. Some orange-scented pound cake, too, and crisp Weissbier.

Palate: Medium texture. Arrives with tart honey, rum-fried pineapple, demerara, and orange marmalade spread on buttered toasted brioche. Develops to toasty oak, nutmeg, and a hint of star anise. A bit of a flinty note hiding in there. Some herbal old-wood notes start to emerge towards the finish.

Water lifts everything somewhere brighter and sweeter.

Finish: Medium-length. The herbal-oak development continues into some fragrant pine and juniper notes, but things stay in balanced. Cardamom. Some brown sugar and lingering mixed fruit.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Fruit salad sandwich”

Notes: A very friendly dram. It has the lovely tropical fruit and flowers that I was looking for, and some nice balanced oak to boot. There’s structure to the oak on the palate, but otherwise things seem just a tiny bit… muddled? I’d love for the nose to have a bit more definition at least. Otherwise, a very good whisky.

Final Score: 85.

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Scoring Legend:

• 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
• 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
• 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
• 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
• 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
• 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
• 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
• 50-59: Save it for mixing.
• 0-49: Blech.