Chivas Brothers’-owned Longmorn has been working because the late nineteenth century, however till lately, it’s largely been imbibed through blended Scotch or the occasional impartial bottling. As a part of the Pernod Ricard household of manufacturers, the distillery has lately emerged as a reputation producer in its personal proper, introducing each 18 and 22 yr outdated expressions to the American market.
Now, Longmorn is upping the ante with the distillery’s oldest-ever launch beneath their very own model identify: a 30 yr single malt. It’s meant to be an annual, non-chill filtered, cask power bottling (on this case 89 proof). Let’s see the way it tastes!
Fruity and floral to begin on the nostril, Longmorn 30 carries waves of orchard fruit together with ripe pears, honeycrisp apples, sliced apricots, and a tiny undercurrent of lavender. Fruit syrup will get extra pronounced with time within the glass, along with elevated vacation spice and a contact of dried, cured oak. That oak finally pushes the fruit syrup into barely tarter territory, evoking preserved pineapple and dried mango. It’s close to the intersection of Longmorn’s latest 18 and 22 yr outdated expressions, although maybe exemplifying the very best of each with out the over-restraint seen on the latter bottling.
Candy and cooling on the first sip, Longmorn 30 opens on the tongue with recent mint sprigs and honey syrup; it’s vaguely paying homage to a diluted mint julep. That acquainted Longmorn toffee can be current, akin to darkish praline with a spine of toasted nuts that carries by the again of the palate. Sweetness builds on the midpalate to creamy, condensed milk caramel, punctuated by papaya and extra canned, sliced pineapple. Cinnamon mud and dry oak lead the transition from the mid to again palates, the place the whisky dials down on sweetness and up on each spice and leathery tannins.
When reviewing final yr’s 18 and 22 yr expressions, I seen a slight dropoff within the end’s size because the whisky elevated in age. However Longmorn 30 doesn’t falter the place the 22 yr outdated did (albeit simply barely). Right here we’ve bought a reasonable size end, which dips into cigar and pipe tobacco whereas sustaining some residual fruit and (pleasantly) vanilla meringue.
89 proof.
A- / $1883 / longmorn.com
Longmorn 30 Years Previous
$1883
