Longmorn Live Tasting - December 18-20, 2009

[Ganga]

Welcome to the Longmorn Live Forum Tasting

The Whiskies


15
16

And any other Longmorns you may have...

Date and Time


Friday 18th December 7:00pm GMT - Sunday 20th December


Start time - 7:00pm GMT

About...
For those of you who do not know what these are about, they run for generally 12+ hours and we all sit down (at various times) to taste a range of whiskies and share our notes and comments on the forum. Have a look in the Live Tasting forum for past events.

They are a great way to meet people on the forum, chat about your experiences and learn something new about the whiskies you have, and we all end up having a good time.

Please feel free to join in and post any comments or tasting notes you have. Tasting notes can be added using the Tasting Note tab on the postings page. (Note, the Age field on the tasting must be a number such as 7,9,10,18)

We look forward to seeing you starting Friday evening...

[Spirit of Islay]

A good tasting to have just before Christmas !
I'll spread the 10 bottles i have over the next two nights .

Expression - G&M 12yo Longmorn
Age - 12yo
ABV - 40%
Casks - First Fill and Refill Sherry Casks.
Colour - Light Amber
Nose - Very dark fruitiness, orange essence , quite sweet and vanilla .
Palate - Sweet on the palate , touch of spiciness , almost a rhubarb tartness about it (not Rhubarb Tart , tartness !)
Finish - Medium finish , quite sweet almost cola cubes .
Comments - A very nice Longmorn for it's price , a few more percent abv would have been nice but it is a G&M bottling , a good one to have on the shelf .

[Ganga]

Not much Longmorn available here so I will visit it twice. First in a brandy and tomorrow in a glencairn.

Signatory, d:3.72, b:8.96, 56.6%

Nose: mashed fruits (peaches, mangos), peanut brittle, honey, cedar shavings, crushed peach pits, ground used cinnamon sticks, waxy notes
Palate: dried fruits, old wood-sandalwood?, crystalizing honey, dried heather
Finish: moderately long, loads of honey and leather

[Ganga]

Now S'tan says there's a mintiness and whispy smoke to the nose. He finds grapefruit on the palate. Otherwise somewhat similar feelings.

[Ryguy]

I've got time for a few samples of Longmorn, so here goes!

[Ryguy]

Expression - Longmorn
Age - 15yo OB
ABV - 45%
Colour - Dark Gold
Nose - Cooked fruits, with hints of ripe oranges and an underlying sweetness.
Palate - Soft and fruity, very smooth on the palate, a bit thin overall. It even becomes a bit bitter towards the back end.
Finish - The finish is short, but fruity and sweet.
Comments - Not a bad dram at all, but it's one you cannot find on the shelves anymore. Extremely drinkable, that's for sure!

[Ryguy]

Expression - Longmorn
Age - 16yo OB (UCF)
ABV - 48%
Colour - Dark Gold
Nose - Lovely dark stewed fruits, hints of raisins, a touch of orange peels. When I first opened up this bottle long ago, there was a pretty strong hint of sulphur, but that is completely gone at this point.
Palate - Wow, compared to the 15yo, there is much more going on here! Powerful on the palate, full of dark fruits with a hint of wood smoke as well.
Finish - The finish is medium to long, sweet and fruity, and a bit drying towards the very end.
Comments - Nice dram, but I'm afraid I just won't pay the price they are asking now for another bottle!

[Ryguy]

Expression - Longmorn
Age - 25yo (G&M)
ABV - 40%
Colour - Light Amber
Nose - Oooooh! Wonderful sweetness with honey, baked apple pie and a touch of vanilla.
Palate - Rich, sweet and dried fruits, this really dries the palate out, in a very nice way! A touch of smoke with some vanilla lingering as well.
Finish - The finish is long and tasty (especially for just 40%), leaves a bouquet of dried fruits and overall sweetness on the palate.
Comments - Excellent dram, many thanks to Ras for this sample!

[Ryguy]

That's all for now, but I do have some more samples in which I'll try and get to this evening or tomorrow!

[Spirit of Islay]

I'm back and this time i've got 9 Bottles !
First up....

Expression - Longmorn 15 (O.b.)
Age - 15yo
ABV - 45%
Colour - Burnished Gold
Nose - Dried Fruit , orange essence , slight Lemon , quite sweet .
Palate - Very sweet , honey with lemon , a nice touch of spices .
Finish - A long sweet finish , marmalade and almond marzipan .
Comments - Longmorn is a bit of a mistress in my marriage to Islay malts , probably my favourite Speysider alongside Glenfarclas , it oozes class through all ages from young to old . must admit though i prefer it slightly older and at Cask strength .

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - Longmorn 16 (O.b.)
Age - 16yo
ABV - 48%
Colour - Polished Copper
Nose - Again a sweetness to the nose , quite fruity and a nice woodiness to it along with Vanilla .
Palate - Honey at first , actually honey on brown toast......Dark fruits , actually quite oily across the palate .
Finish - Medium finish , honeyed sweetness . Edit - a spiciness to the finish appears late on .
Comments - More body to it than the 15yo , i think i slightly prefer this one to the 15yo . A lot of people have complained about this being sulphured but i've never had that problem and i hate Sulphur ! A Worthy dram !

[Spirit of Islay]

A few Indy bottles.....

Expression - Bladnoch Forum 11yo Longmorn
Year - 1997
Age - 11yo
ABV - 60.2%
Cask / Bottle No. - Hogshead No.163304 / 55 of 200
Colour - Pale Gold
Nose - Initial nose was Concentrated Apple Juice , then it settled down to Fresh Apples , Pears , Mint and a touch floral . Very spirity at full strength and nose hair prickling . Water seems to make the nose more floral and peppery , also adds a creaminess to the nose .
Palate - Smoother than what i would have thought for the strength . very lively , Peppery at first , then Apples and a touch spicy . Dilution seems to bring a bit creaminess to it but it still has a bit pepperiness to it .
Finish - Long , Dry and a bit peppery .
Comments - Distilled 25th November 1997 , Bottled 8th January 2009 . This is the youngest Longmorn i've ever had ( usually 21-40yo ) and it's a joy . Fresh and smooth give its strength . A good Cask choice !

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - Berrys Own Selection 1996 Longmorn
Year - 1996
Age - 12yo
ABV - 56.7
Colour - Chardonnay
Nose - Lemon at first , very slight sherriness to it , green fruits , after a while a slight hint of Grapefruit juice .
Palate - Honey sweetness , bitter cooking apples , spicy . Also digestive biscuits .
Finish - a very refreshing long finish , honey and green fruits .
Comments - Bottled 2008 , Once again a very good BBR bottling , full of fresh youthfulness .

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - Dreamdrams 12yo Longmorn
Age - 12yo
ABV - 57.3%
Cask / Bottle No. - No.156792 / No. 12 of 300
Colour - Summer straw
Nose - quite spirity at first , then lemony , hint of nail varnish , a fudgy creaminess and slight green apples .
Palate - Apple Tart (the pastry variety....) , a subtle spiciness , also a hint of bitter chocolate .
Finish - long , green apples , a hint of pear drops .
Comments - From the MWBH bottling Company (AKA Whiskyscam in the past) , another decent , reasonably priced bottle from MWBH , don't think it's as good as the Bladnoch and BBR bottlings though....

[Ganga]

Good afternoon Gordon. Back from the morning errands and will be retrying the Signatory 23 but in a glencairn now.

[Spirit of Islay]

Back to an O.b.

Expression - Chivas Brothers Longmorn Cask Strength Edition
Year - 1991
Age - 17yo
ABV - 52.5%
Colour - Golden Syrup
Nose - slightly closed at first , honey sweetness , orange , apple pie spiciness .
Palate - Quite fruity , orange essence , vanilla and a gentle oakiness .
Finish - Long , sweet and cloves .
Comments - Bottled 2009 , Batch No. LM 17 006 , only available at Chivas owned Distilleries and from their website (and possibly TWE....) in a 50cl bottle . a bit of an usual Longmorn after all the younger ones , very nice though !

[Spirit of Islay]

Hi Rich ,
Having a great time here , working my way through the Longmorns , just wish i had some of the really old ones to hand.....

[Ganga]

Signatory, d:3.72, b:8.96, 56.6%

Nose: dried apricots, honeydew melons, cinnamon candles, white pepper
Palate: huge cinnamon burst, tangerines and oranges, heather bundles, some woodiness
Finish: long, dry Christmas cider

Funny, I looked back at last nights notes and see what appears to be a different beverage. Likely a factor of what's been eaten today plus the differences in the glass. Today this is a very good beverage. Last night it was exceptional.

[Ganga]

Yes, Longmorns can be exceptional. I really like the ones in the 20-30 year range. I've had a few in their late 30s that have gone a little too long and others that were still quite good.

Longmorn reminds me of Mortlach and Glenfarclas in that they can go a long time and still not be overly woody.

[Ganga]

Cooled down the brandy snifter and whisky in the freezer.

Nose: lemon peels, wood polish at first. Cinnamon and wood start to come in after a minute or so. Honey, heather/straw, and some meaty fruitiness come in later before finally coming round to the nose I had last night.

Going to recool it and try the palate.

[Spirit of Islay]

And so to the Society Bottles........

Expression - SMWS 7.52 "Art School Whisky"
Age - 18yo
ABV - 56.4%
Cask / Bottle No. - Refill Bourbon Hogshead / 1 of 257 Bottles
Colour - Chardonnay Wine (Very light for it's age)
Nose - slight perfume , Edinburgh rock , touch of ginger and pepper .
Palate - very peppery , honey sweetness , spicy .
Finish - long sweet and spicy .
Comments - still very youthful for an 18yo , quite young for the SMWS but i prefer them slightly older .

[Wave]

Yes, Longmorns can be exceptional. I really like the ones in the 20-30 year range. I've had a few in their late 30s that have gone a little too long and others that were still quite good.

Yep, and you'll see a couple of those posted later tonight. 27yo Signatory and either 29yo or 31yo Lorne MacKillop's (haven't decided yet which to open). Love them old Longmorns!


Cheers!

[Ganga]

I read through all your notes Gordon. Very nice. The one that looks the most interesting is the Berry's.

[Spirit of Islay]

Rich , i've tried quite a few Berrys bottlings (not just Longmorn) now and the only bad one was a BenRiach , all the others have been very good and "Purchasable" !
Must say the SMWS Longmorns have not disappointed and i always look out for new ones on the lists .

[Ganga]

Missed seeing you there Wave. Great to see you here and I look forward to reading about your bottles.

Wish the Berry's stuff was a little more readily available here Gordon. We finally started getting Chieftain bottlings here in 2009.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 7.51 "Sweet, Rich and Fruity"
Age - 24yo
ABV - 57.4%
Cask / Bottle No. - Refill Bourbon Hogshead / 1 of 184 Bottles
Colour - Polished Gold
Nose - first thing that hit's you is ripe Bananas , then Green Fruits (Apples and pears) , also a hint of chocolate orange .
Palate - Definitely Terrys Chocolate Orange ! Touch of lemon , honey and spiciness .
Finish - Long , honey and spices .
Comments - this is a superb (aren't they all ?) Longmorn . where does the society get all these good Casks from ?

[Spirit of Islay]

i'm surprised you can't get Berrys Bottlings , hell they are even available in the great wilderness of Canada !

[Ganga]

There may be a few available but it is very limited here Gordon.

The Society does a pretty bang up job of selecting casks. The only pedestrian one I've had was a Dailuaine. Even the Croftengea was very good.

[Spirit of Islay]

Expression - SMWS 7.50 "Battenburg Cake and tea"
Age - 24yo
ABV - 58.8%
Cask / Bottle No. - Refill Bourbon Hogshead / 1 of 219 Bottles
Colour - Bright Gold
Nose - Apple Pie with cinnamon , Vanilla , Honey sweetness and lemon .
Palate - Again apple pie , spices , slightly peppery , coats the palate wonderfully .
Finish - incredibly long and spicy , the finish goes on and on and on......
Comments - A superb Longmorn (bought 2 of these !) , long may the Society Longmorns continue !

[Ganga]

Well, the whisky when cold has a lot of citrus - Meyer lemons. And as it warms on the palate all those other flavors slowly come out. It is a different experience because the flavors don't hit you all at once.

Have to give a big thumbs up to this beverage.

That Society bottle looks incredible Gordon.

[Spirit of Islay]

I'm a big fan of the Society Rich , i think (for me) it is very good value for money , just a shame about the splurge of Sulphured releases over the last year......
I've got a 7.49 in the cupboard (not opening that yet....) and a 7.38 winging it's way down from Edinburgh as we speak but that's my lot for this tasting . I'd recommend anyone to give Longmorn a try !

[Ganga]

Thanks a lot Gordon. Your runs always provide a good insight into a particular distillery as you usually provide a mixture of cask types and age. Thanks again.

[Ganga]

Time to head off as I have chores to get done prior to the Holiday Party tonight. Cheers everyone and enjoy some Longmorn will ya.

[Spirit of Islay]

just looked at my SMWS tasted list for Longmorn.....
7.28 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 36yo 52.1% Tasting N/cle 29/09/2005
7.34 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 36yo 56.9% Tasting N/cle 09/03/2007
7.36 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 38yo 53.5% Bottle
7.37 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 38yo 53.6% Vaults 26/08/2007
7.42 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 21yo 50.2% B/Vaults 22/09/2007
7.44 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 23yo 57.3% Vaults 20/09/2008
7.45 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 23yo 58.7% Vaults 20/09/2008
7.46 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 23yo 57.8% Vaults 07/03/2009
7.48 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 40yo 53.5% Vaults 22/11/2008
7.50 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 24yo 57.4% B/Tasting Dur 28/08/2009
7.51 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 24yo 57.4% B/Vaults 07/03/2009
7.52 Longmorn Speyside (Lossie) 18yo 56.4% B/Tasting N/cle 4/07/2009

The 23yo were still good but i either missed them or bought something else on that visit ! The older ones were a tad more expensive......

[mikeymad]

good run G... got this one off to a great start...

Cheers,