Longmorn 15 or Strathisla 12

Related whiskies : Longmorn 15 Years Old , Strathisla 12 Years Old , Strathisla 15 Years Old, Cask Strength

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:02 am

Say guys I'm looking to try something new and noticed a Longmorn 15 and a Strathisla 12 at the local store, I'm not sure which one to try..

So I'm looking to get an idea of what I might expect from each.
What other malts would you say each of these malts are most similar too ?

thanks guys

by **killerwhale** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:05 am

never had Strath but Longmorn 15 is really good, worth a try for sure.
what is it like..... probably check tasting notes for a decent idea.

by **Leonidych** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:21 am

Longmorn 15 is one of the best (vibrant, spicy, very well-balanced), whereas Strathisla 12, rather mediocre (sweet with some plastic notes). IMHO, Strathislas get pretty after 25 years.

by **killerwhale** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:30 am

I consider Longmorn 15 as my 'baby' Talisker 18 (Talisker 18 is $100

, Longmorn 15 is $63 ), it doesn't have the peat/smoke in quantities but it does have the complex fruit..... lovely dram, just go buy it.... :angel:

by **WestVanDave** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:49 am

Gotta agree with the previous posts supporting Longmorn 15 - a great value - full of character and quality (and don't tell the folks at Chivas - worth twice as much as what it's currently selling for). Plenty of depth - malt and wood character - some hints of citrus and aniseed (liqorice). A favourite... am I gushing?

:oops:

As for Strathisla 12 - I'm not a frequent partaker - probably because the few times I've tried it I've been "underwhelmed" - and if they are close in price there is no contest.

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:59 am

longmorn every time

just bought a new bottle myself this week

ash .

by **Di Blasi** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 12:27 pm

I just tasted the Strathisla last night for the first time in awhile, and although not bad at all, but my vote goes for the Longmorn! A distillery that's becoming a favorite!

by **Leither** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 1:25 pm

Both good speysiders and Strathisla is a decent dram, and the heart of the blend Chivas Regal which to me aint bad neither.

However if at a comparable pricepoint Longmorn 15 is a far better bet, a much fuller dram. Previous posts are very consistent.

Stock up on Longmorn 15 now tho, the new 16 has been all 'premiumised' and priced accordingly with reports suggesting the old 15 will be sadly missed.

by **ccrank.freeserve.co.uk** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 2:00 pm

Longmorn everytime , one of my favourites. Is it being discontinued with the introduction of the new 16?

by **Drrich1965** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 3:03 pm

Well, one slighlyv desenting vote, although they scored closely. Mind you, I have only had the Longmorn 15 twice. Also, the Strathisla was a bottle I had two years ago, so a limited and mabye not useful sample.

Here are my notes and scores. 75 is an average single mat (and hey, thats good stuff!). 80 is Reccomendable. Also, my Longmorn notes are from a bar botte, so not very reliable.

77 Sm Longmorn 15yo (45%,OB, circa 2005) Nose: A touch of sour apple candy (a good smell). Malty and firm. Not to powerful, just firm. Mouth: Spicy and malty. First the cinnamon spice than the malt. It needs a few minutes of breathing to bring out some of its complexity and balance. When I say complexity, I felt I had to work hard to find the elements. Finish: Very spicy, cinnamon and white pepper perhaps. Nice dram, but somehow it is not letting me in. I will need to try this again sometime. With Jill at the Capital Grill Charlotte. The night before our anniversary, 2006. The bottle was full and only a couple of months old.

80 Sm Strathisla 12yo (43%, OB, circa 2004) The last sip of the bottle, so perhaps some tasking notes are finally in order. I have had this one for a year, and have already scored it. These notes do reflect an aging bottle, but the score is form an earlier time. Nose. Spiced cookies, some hints of sherry. Mouth: Spicy and dry, moving into a long peppery finish. A dram that is a "full experience" if that makes sense. Seems like this might be a good one for someone moving from blends to single malts. Almost like an intense, flavorful blend, if this makes any sense. Perhaps this is because its one flaw might be some graininess through the middle. The score I gave it months ago seems right.

by **Deactivated Member** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:41 pm

Leither wrote:Stock up on Longmorn 15 now tho, the new 16 has been all 'premiumised' and priced accordingly with reports suggesting the old 15 will be sadly missed.

is it being discontinued :shock:

if so i'll have to back to makro for another bottle or two

ash .

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 4:56 pm

Thanks guys,
Great tasting notes, someone mentioned the Longmorn was similiar to Talisker, which gives me an idea of where in the taste spectrum it falls....can anyone else offer some more similaities for either Longmorn or Strathisla....
From your comments I leaning toward the Longmorn.....the prices I found are Longmorn $52, Strat $42....... not a big difference, both in my budget area for this purchase go 'round.

by **Leither** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 5:12 pm

Yip, 15 soon no more, hence in Makro most probably to deplete stocks, see previous thread about new 16:

http://www.whiskymag.com/forum/viewtopi ... t=longmorn

by **lambda** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:38 pm

Longmorn is fruity indeed, but if you are expecting talisker you will be disappointed I think. No offense killerwhale. It is a rather sweet whisky, while I consider strathisla more on the malty side. Personally, I prefer the strathisla.

by **Reggaeblues** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 6:44 pm

JG, i would never compare Longmorn with Talisker, apart from the ABV...Talisker is 45.8, longmorn 45.

but both are excellent. I suppose tou could call Longmorn "Talisker minus smoke."

...whereas Strathisla, to my mind, is merely "pleasant, but not outstanding"

Enjoy!

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:03 pm

Can I get a similarity on each......

Would Longmorn be say like a MaCallan or Oban'ish...is it a wood finish ?

Is the Strathisla a Caggenmore - Clenish type

by **Wendy** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:25 pm

Hi JG,
I am sure you have probably thought of this, but before going to the expense of buying a bottle, why don't you check both whiskies out a local pub. One may really jump out at you, in a way that the reviews may not.
Cheers,
Wendy

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 7:57 pm

Hi Wendy,
Thanks, I do do that occasionaly, and if I recall I did try the Longmorn one time and really liked it, that's one of the reason I lite on it when I saw it, but I can't remember for sure if it was the Longmorn I tried or something else that started with an 'L'.............guess it pays to pay attention.....
Also, sometimes someplaces charge so much for a decent scotch and then they give you so little, I don't even bother with those places anymore, which kinda cuts down on the number of scotches I get to try....A place in town here has a really good selection, but they barely give you enough to smell it without feeling like you'll suck it all up your nose if you breath to hard.....another place in town has a much better pouring arm but only has about 8 malts to try......
So sometimes I get to thinking, gee by the time me and a buddy try a couple different malts each........I feel like, heck I ought just go buy a whole bottle........I actually like every scotch, and will not complain about drinking any bottle I get.....
But sometimes I find myself in the mood to look for something in a particular taste or get an upfront idea of what to buy......
So I'm still waiting for some 'similarities'..............what would you say a Longmorn 15 taste most like.......and the same for the Stathisla 12 ....can someone offer that up ?

by **Frodo** » Fri Jul 13, 2007 9:08 pm

JohnyyGuitar wrote:Can I get a similarity on each......

Would Longmorn be say like a MaCallan or Oban'ish...is it a wood finish ?

Is the Strathisla a Caggenmore - Clenish type

I would compare the Longmorn 15 with something like Craggenmore 10. They share a vibrancy and both project their flavours well. Longmorn has a bit more of that pear flavour thing going, more fruity than Craggenmore if my memory serves me well.

Disclaimer - It's been a long time since I've had Longmorn 15 but it left a strong impression on me that the flavours were...too forward. If it helps, I'd strongly prefer Glenfiddich 12 (creamier, and softer) to Glenlevit 12 (fruity/vibrant).

Strathisla 12 I've had curtesy of Wendy, and it left a nice impreesion on me. A quiet pour - not as quiet as Glenfiddich but fairly soft and quiet. Got that Caramel-y/toffee thing going on. Not quite a creaminess a la Glenfiddich, but reminds me a bit of 'fiddich.

Hope any of this helps Johnny. I can totally relate to wanting as much info as possible before making a purchase of a bottle I've never tried before.

by **Lawrence** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 2:45 am

While the Longmorn 15 has a slight edge, the Strathisla 12 is also a stellar dram and quite frankly niether should be left out of your single malt experience. Both are Speyside malts and this type of whisky, in most cases, do not jump up and smash you in the throat like some of the Islays (whish is part of their charm). Both have excellent flavour profiles.

by **killerwhale** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:22 am

killerwhale wrote:I consider Longmorn 15 as my 'baby' Talisker 18 (Talisker 18 is $100 , Longmorn 15 is $63 ), it doesn't have the peat/smoke in quantities but it does have the complex fruit..... lovely dram, just go buy it....

mmmm I think it has the complex fruit that is similar in complexity to Talisker..... I also wrote 'baby Talisker' in that regards .... also not the peat/smoke.
just my 'umble opin..... :wink:

it's a very good whisky for the price and I recommend it.... :thumbsup:

by **Scotchio** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 9:56 am

I did find a similarity in Longmorn and Talisker in the spicy attack of the palate, although the flavours I get are mainly thick malt and citrus with a little oak, it's pretty powerful and big for a speysider especially considering it's not particularly sherried. Strathisla 12 seems OK in a typically fruity lightly smoky speyside manner but like most here I'd probably go for the Longmorn first as it is the more distinctive of the two.

by **Feldrin** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:01 am

I haven't tasted the Strathisla 12 yet but I'm very happy with my litre of Longmorn 15. They're getting harder and harder to find and the one I bought was the last one available in a pretty extensive whisky store. If you can still get them at the normal price (bought it for €40 I think) stock up on it.

Apart from all the comments already made, fruitiness and such, the only things I can add are the great oak undertone it has and I'm always getting an impression of dark chocolate from the Longmorn 15.

by **bond** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 12:01 pm

I would prefer the longmorn any day though some of the tasing notes have left me a bit confused.

On complexity, I would give strathisla more marks . Just that the eucalyptus on the finish puts me off.

I somehow never got the impression that longmorn had spiciness to it a la talisker.

The reason i would vote longmorn is that i prefer its flavour profile.

by **Mr Ellen** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 6:43 pm

I will go against the stream on this one as I think Strathisla is far better than Longmorn. In my opinion I think Strathisla pushes away from the crowd with a very special nose and a beautiful taste. I especially like the taste and nose of violets that are so special to Strathisla.
However, I am really curious on the new Longmorn 16y. that has just been launched. Does anyone have any experience from this expression?

Cheers
____________________
Anders

by **Frodo** » Sat Jul 14, 2007 10:56 pm

Scotchio wrote:I did find a similarity in Longmorn and Talisker in the spicy attack of the palate, although the flavours I get are mainly thick malt and citrus with a little oak, it's pretty powerful and big for a speysider especially considering it's not particularly sherried. Strathisla 12 seems OK in a typically fruity lightly smoky speyside manner but like most here I'd probably go for the Longmorn first as it is the more distinctive of the two.

I agree 100% with these points. A great description of Longmorn BTW Scotchio!!!

by **Quaichuser** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:57 am

I'd cast my vote for the Longmorn as well. It has been a favourite of mine for many years. I've always thought it was closer to a Dalmore than anything else.

In checking some of my notes I realize the Strathisla is one I have not tasted. I must rectify this in the future.

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:20 pm

I purchased the Longmorn 15, but I still wanna try the Strathisla.....The Longmorn is nice, but then again I love all scotch !
I'd have to agree with what some have said that the Longmorn 15 bears a resembelance to a Talisker, I'd but it (Longmorn) more in a Talisker camp than a Cragganmore, either flavor would have been fine with me...
Did someone mention a similarity to Dalmore, Dalmore 12 ?.....I don't get that impresseion which is fine, I'm not a big Dalmore 12 fan..
I will say the Longmorn is a delicate whiskey.
I can also see the similarity in Longmorn and some blends, Dewares 12, Famous Grouse,etc...I don't mean that in a bad way.

So is there a list anywhere on the web that shows which scotches are similar in taste ? I realize if you go into the, floral, cookie-batter, etc, with such subjective notions such a list would be impossible. But realisticaly, one could group on some very basic and objective flavors....example....Islay for the most part would be grouped, wood finish for the most part could be grouped, drier brands like Clynelish/Craggamore, and then Talisker/Oban types, dah dah dah.....I'd love to see such a list, then if I one for example liked a Clynelish then could find similar brands to try.....the whole thing with the cookie-herbal-toasted-nut thing is so silly and subjective I find it meaning less and, well, worthless to read in reguards to making a new purchase....but don't get me started hammering the experts again.......
Anyway, the Longmorn, as is typical of opening a new bottle, tasted a bit stiffled when I first open the bottle, but as of the latest tasting, it is coming alive, I like !

by **Lawrence** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 2:58 am

JohnyyGuitar wrote:I purchased the Longmorn 15, but I still wanna try the Strathisla.....

Good for you, it would be a pity to try just one of the two.

by **Scotchio** » Tue Jul 17, 2007 8:49 am

Johnny I don't think there's a list of profile categorized malts and if there was it would be pretty subjective and a little contrived as often malts have nuances of a number of other whiskies. Mentally I've started to categorize by style and I've got it down to about 14 groups, for me longmorn fits in the malty style along with Cardhu, Glen Grant, St Magdalene and Dallas Dhu. The fact that Longmorn is really quite different to it's fellow group members perhaps shows the futility of such an endeavor

by **MGillespie** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:24 am

Seems to me there's an easy solution...buy them both! Of course, if that's not an option, then I'd go for the Longmorn 15 while you can still get it...the Strathisla 12 should be around for a long time.

Mark

by **Scotchio** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 8:48 am

A Venn diagram might work

by **Deactivated Member** » Wed Jul 18, 2007 5:23 pm

It would have to be a 3-D one...no, actually, multi-dimensional. A little hard to visualize!

by **JohnyyGuitar** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:08 pm

scotchio wrote

Johnny I don't think there's a list of profile categorized malts and if there was it would be pretty subjective and a little contrived as often malts have nuances of a number of other whiskies. Mentally I've started to categorize by style and I've got it down to about 14 groups, for me longmorn fits in the malty style along with Cardhu, Glen Grant, St Magdalene and Dallas Dhu. The fact that Longmorn is really quite different to it's fellow group members perhaps shows the futility of such an

I agree things would get subjective, tastes from various whiskies overlap, so what group would you put them in.....
Still, many things in life are categorized, and list aren't always perfect, but that is understood in any type of categorize, such a grouping of scotch, I think, would immediatley help someone get a fast mental idea of what a brand's profile was like......the list would not be ment to get an exact picture, just a general one........
for example if one doesn't like heavy peat, and having not tried Caol Ila...he sees that it is group with Ardbeg, etc....well then..he would find that enormously helpfull, much more so than some cookie batter review...
Frankly it really surprises me to no end that someone hasn't produced a simple grouped listing of scotches. I did see a list someone tried to do - scientifically - to no surprise it made no sense as far as taste goes, it had something like Ardbeg in the same group as things like Glenlevit, I guess it made sense some how to them
Scotchio......I'd be interested in seeing your's, I'm sure other's would find it interesting too.

by **Deactivated Member** » Thu Jul 19, 2007 6:29 pm

JohnyyGuitar wrote: for example if one doesn't like heavy peat, and having not tried Caol Ila...he sees that it is group with Ardbeg, etc....well then..he would find that enormously helpfull, much more so than some cookie batter review...

Well, there's them that like cookie batter, and them that don't.

I know such categorizations have been done. There are those spider wheels (or whatever you call them) that rate whiskies according to the amount of the basic flavors therein (I don't think cookie batter is one). Not sure where you can access a reasonably comprehensive list of such, though.

Related whiskies : Longmorn 15 Years Old , Strathisla 12 Years Old , Strathisla 15 Years Old, Cask Strength

Longmorn 15 or Strathisla 12

Longmorn 15 or Strathisla 12

thank you - thank you - thank you

Re: thank you - thank you - thank you