Review by: The Muskox

Dram 5 of the week, and the start of night 2. it turns out that The Feathers isn’t the only pub in town with extremely well-priced ancient whisky. There is another…

This place has the added benefit of phenomenally good food, a gorgeous back patio, and a yearly steak festival. And it STILL has this 1969 Longmorn on the menu for $49 CAD a glass. Crazy.

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Distillery: Longmorn.

Bottler: Douglas Laing.

Region: Speyside.

ABV: 50%.

Age: 31 years. Distilled in May 1969. Bottled in February 2001.

Cask type: “Oak cask”.

Price: N/A. $49 CAD for a pour at the bar.

Color: Dark gold. Natural Color. Non-chill-filtered.

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Nose: Oily, tingly nosefeel. Bursting, intense fruit. Lime sherbet, peach cobbler, papaya (or according to Sam my drinking partner, mamey sapote), pineapple, lemon zest, even limoncello. Fresh-baked bread smeared with butter and drizzled with clover honey. There’s a fresh herbaceousness as well – fennel fronds, grass, basil, and some mint. Flowers, too. A hint of an earthier algae note.

Palate: Medium-light texture. Arrives sweet-tart and effervescent – melon, citrus, pineapple, and loads of basil. The whisky develops slowly, first to bracing mineral notes and sunflower seeds, then more rich fruit notes of peach and passionfruit, then finally intense and layered oak. The oak gets deeper and deeper, with flecks of old pencils and wax coming in and out.

Finish: Medium-long, fresh and almost cooling. Lots more basil, plus mint, lavender, dew-speckled ferns, and stronger fennel/licorice than on the palate. Grapefruit zest and malt. Lingering strong oak.

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Possible SMWS bottling name: “Greenhouse epiphany”

Conclusion: Wow, starting off the evening with a bang. with a bang. This is a gorgeously fresh and fragrant dram, with amazing depth of flavour in those citrus and herbal notes. It has the power to open your eyes and your sinuses. There’s loads of oak, but not too much for me. Those intense mineral notes just add to that intense brightness.

This is easily as good as, though completely different from, the other night’s Linlithgow. Amazingly, we managed to top both of those drams that night…

Final Score: 93.

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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.