Longmorn 18 1990 Juul’s

Review by: Raygun

This is kind of a mystery. I’ve got a year, ABV, and that it’s from Juul’s in Denmark. I’m told the original labels were damaged and they were relabeled. Might be this one and then again it might not. With no cask number or bottler on the replacement labels, it’ll probably remain a mystery. Rested about 20 minutes.

Distillery: Longmorn

Bottler: Unknown

Region/style: Speyside single malt Scotch

ABV: 51.4%

Age: 18 years old. Distilled in 1990.      

Cask type: Bourbon cask 

Color: 1.0 deep copper. I’d guess not colored or chill-filtered, but there’s no way to be sure.

Nose: So much apple. I’ve don’t think I’ve ever smelled this much apple in a whisky. Also a touch vegetal, with celery and raw green beans. The celery note is throwing me off.                             

Palate: Luckily it doesn’t taste like celery. Crisp green apple, caramel, lemon glaze, and toffee. Moderate oak. Could be a refill hogshead. Plenty of apple, but not as fruity as most Longmorn I’ve tried. Peach turns up after a while.

Finish: Caramel, sweet tea with lemon, and not as much apple. Turns more oaky now, and some digestive biscuit pops up. Fairly drying.   

Conclusion: It turns out to be a fairly standard Longmorn, heavy on the apple, yet less fruity than most. The toffee and biscuit flavors add something nice. Enjoyable, if not especially memorable. The celery note on the nose stuck out, but not in a good way: I hate celery. Fortunately it wasn’t repeated on the nose and palate. I wouldn’t need a bottle, but it makes for a pleasant enough drink.

Score: 79

Scoring Legend:

  • 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky. (Convalmore 36)
  • 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category. (Bruichladdich Black Art 4.1)
  • 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram. (Ledaig 13 Amontillado)
  • 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff. (Tomatin 18)
  • 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting. (Glen Scotia 15)
  • 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better. (Aultmore 12)
  • 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink. (Glenmorangie 10)
  • 50-59: Save it for mixing. (Old Pulteney 12)
  • 0-49: Blech. (Muirhead’s Silver Seal 16)

Published by Raygun

Unknown's avatar

I drank Scotch occasionally (mostly at family gatherings) for years, but started getting more interested after an introduction and tasting from a Scottish acquaintance. That led to buying my first bottle (Highland Park 12). Now 600+ spirits later, Scotch is still my first love, but I drink other whisky and dabble in brandy as well.

Leave a comment