LONGMORN 1961 TWIN CASKS - GORDON AND MACPHAIL PRIVATE COLLECTION

As opposed to many other distilleries whos suffered multible openings/closures Longmorn seems to have maintained a fairly steady pace through history. It was opened in 1893 and even though it has changed hands a few times through history, it has always seemed to have kept running. Longmorn has for a long time been a favourite of blenders but has, through especially Gordon & MacPhail seen fame as a single malt also - I especially remember their 30yo offering as very good!

But lets take a look at these bottlings...
Gordon & MacPhail has launched these twin Longmorn casks from 1961, they're both refill sherry hogsheads, one from American oak and one from European oak. They've matured together in a warehouse in Scotland for 57 years

Marketed as Twin casks its then only befitting that Gordon & MacPhail Managers Richard and Stuart Urquhart is the G&M up-front image, being identical twins themselves.

These Longmorns are the oldest longmorns ever bottled as Single Malt and are only sold as pairs - or twins if you like - at a price of £30.000!

The 1961 twin casks, 512 on the right, 508 on the left © Gordon & MacPhail

Longmorn 1961 57yo (02.02.1961/xx.xx.2018) 40,8%, refill american oak sherry cask#512

Nose:

© Gordon & MacPhail

Mellow and oozing salivating old oak, lots of malt and demerara sugar, Xmas Honey Hearts (baking), a cooling eucalyptus note and overripe oranges and brown banana, a pleasent gingery note and Muscato dessert wine as well. Very fresh for such an old whisky.

Taste:
I was afraid the oak had gotten to this one, but no... Its there yes, but I don't find it at all invasive. It is, if anything wrapping and providing a litte wood sap. There's tea, ginger bread, a little tobacco, hints of walnut, more oranges and pretty much mirroring the nose except for a slight spicy (oak) attack on the finish.

Love this, even if it has a bit of oak - but thats to be expected in a whisky this old.

92/100!


Longmorn 1961 57yo (02.02.1961/xx.xx.2018) 45%, refill european oak sherry cask#508

Nose:

© Gordon & MacPhail

Clearly more sherried than its twin cask... again the nose is quite mellow but its delivering a minty and prune like nose along with very old school sherry notes, something not often seen today. Musty earthen floors, old wet oak, strong coffee with a dash of cocoa powder added. A slight burnt cask note adds to the experience. Stunning!

Taste:
Lots of rhum and dark chocolate and espresso notes, mint, tobacco, prunes - all sorts of dark fruits in fact, some orange liqueur and very old cognac. Also a tad more drying than its twin...

Like with its twin above it there's a fair deal of oak present, but to me its not over the top. Just love, love love this old style!

92/100!

To me, with these two, its simply just a matter of how much sherry you want in your whisky.

Read more about the casks here and watch a couple of youtube videos about these bottlings here: https://www.gordonandmacphail.com/longmorns/

Official samples provided by Gordon & MacPhail

LONGMORN 1968 40YO 7.55 'LIQUID HEAVEN' - THE SCOTCH MALT WHISKY SOCIETY

Longmorn has long been a favourite with many  malt heads, incl. myself...
Why? it just has a bit of everything and it seems to be very consistent, making it a whisky blenders favourite. It also matures very well, both in ex-bourbon and sherry casks.The production is clearly minded for blended whisky and the main part of the production ends up in owners Chivas Bros. (Pernod Ricard) blends such as Chivas Regal and Royal Salute. This, of course also reflects on the availability of Longmorn as a Single Malt.

In 2012 the distillery was expanded to a capacity of 4,5 million liter annually but it still remains to be seen if we're to be blessed with more official bottlings from Chivas Bros. At this moment you can get a NAS Distillers Choice, a 16yo and a 50cl Cask Strength version, available at the Chivas Distilleries that has a visitors center, e.g. Glenlivet, Aberlour and Strathisla.

There does seem to be escaping a fair number of casks to the indie bottlers so it shouldn't be all that hard to track down one down, indie or official bottling, if you browse the big online whisky retailers... and speaking of indie bottlers - lets move ahead to this review...

The Longmorn Still House, picture with permission from Gorm N. Jensen

Longmorn 1968 7.55 40yo 'Liquid Heaven' 54,9%, 1st fill sherry butt, 451 bottles, The Scotch Malt Whisky Society

Colour is mahogany

Nose:
Super nice, lots of old school sherry notes, cocoa/bitter chocolates, espresso, cool chocolate sponge cake, tangerines soaked in alcohol, brown sugar, strawberry and kirsch and old polished book shelves.

Taste:
Lots of malt wrapped in sulphur free old school sherry. There's crunchy chocolate orange sweets, roasted coffee beans and brown caramels. There's a wood presence here, yes, but everything is perfectly wrapped in layers of other stuff like figs and cinnamon, figs, nutmeg - sometimes its like sipping orange liquer spiced up with a dark old rhum. The whole thing ends with a tiny hint of woods spice and mint - Brilliant, just brilliant!

This is some of the best whisky I've had in a long time!

93/100!

LONGMORN 1992 - ADELPHI

Longmorn Distillery just next to BenRiach is a stonker of a malt. So much that owners, Chivas Bros/Pernod Ricard is trying (but failing) to keep Longmorn a hidden secret - it's just too good for that.

Longmorn itself isn't open to the public and to get in there, you have to visit -as I've mentioned before- the Spirit of Speyside Festival and again this Spring 2013 its has opened its door for a few events for a lucky few.

Now, you don't see many official bottlings from Longmorn, only a 16yo and a 50cl Cask Strength usually only sold at the Chivas Group Distilleries that has a visitors centre and its very good value and quality - usually around £40 for a 50cl at cask strength and relative small batch. I have to say this, but forget about the 16yo distillery bottling - its just too bland! Go for the Cask Strength version if you can get it - otherwise look to the independants for Longmorn! ... like the one, I'm about to review...

Longmorn 1992/2010 17yo 53,9% 1st fill bourbon barrel#48430, Adelphi

Colour is amber

Nose:
Huge of plesant oak and malt, vanilla and spice, tropical fruits and floral hints, coconut, honey, sweet mash and white chocolate

Taste:
Fruit and malt arrival, Longmorm trademarks, green banana style dryness,  peppery, orange marmalade on toast, some wood sourness, again very malt driven mid palate which I love. Finish is on dry oak and some wood shavings - all very sweet.

88/100!

LONGMORN 1992 - ARCHIVES BATCH 3

Many a Speyside whisky anorak has the hots for this distillery - incl. myself...
Some pretty good older sherry matured stuff has come out from bottlers like G&M, though old stocks seem to be dwindling at an alarming rate... not just because its old, but its also pretty tasty ;-)

Lets see how this 1992 fares:

Longmorn 1992 19yo xx.10.1992/xx.05.2012 ex-bourbon cask#86607, 48,5%, Archives

Golden straw in colour

Nose:
Malt, vanillas, white fruits with a hint of pear is dominant. After a few minutes it turns to a more orangy note, but the malt is still very much in charge leaving a chocolaty maltiness in the empty glass.

Taste:
Firm malt led by spices and a good measure of wood.
The whole thing is maybe a little too spice led and the spirit on top seems a little hot.
This Longmorn seems to be maybe a tad simple, but its still very drinkable with its citrussy finish.

83/100!

LONGMORN 1964 - GORDON & MACPHAIL

Longmorn 1964 46yo, 27.03.1964/29.09.2010 53%, First fill sherry hogshead#1539, Gordon & MacPhail, Book of Kells

Nose:
Mint, Cappucino, soft ice sprinkles, sweetshop

Taste:
Spices, some herbs, a little acidic, dried grapes, raisins, well balanced oak, oily,
Best dram of the evening - no doubt and the notes above doesnt do it justice at all

93/100! (tasted 23-02-2012)