North Star Spirits Longmorn Tasting Notes

North Star Spirits Longmorn 2006 (15 year old) 63.1%

Oloroso Sherry Butt/ Dist: Mar 2005 Btl: 2020/ Tasted: Jun 2020

The nose is all cask, which is not a surprise given how dark it is. Burnt raisins and herbs. Treacle and dark, first fill Oloroso herbal dried fruit. Late malt and wheat-a-bix notes.

The palate mirrors the nose – dark, sherried, burnt raisins, bitter tannin and treacle. Soft, malty middle buta masked, herbal and bitter finish.

Water makes the nose a little softer and hints of coffee and dark chocolate appear, but no spirit character. The palate is exactly the same as the nose, a little softer and less bitter but still all Oloroso.

Lady of the Glen Longmorn Tasting Notes

Lady of the Glen Rare Cask Longmorn 2011 (10 year old) 55.8%

First Fill Bourbon Cask 974/ Dist: Sept 2011 Btl: July 2022/ Tasted: Aug 2022

There is a definite alcohol prickle on the nose along with green fruit, apple, gooseberry and hints of barley, taught oak, vanilla and cream.

The palate is also taught and masked. Hints of barley, vanilla, green fruit and slightly creamy/ toffee’d vanilla. Short, masked, spicy finish.

Water opens the nose to show floral honey, white fruit, tangerine and subtler creamy oak. Aromatic even if the oak becomes a little chunky. The palate is citric and grassy with white fruit, tangerine, honey, robust but balanced vanilla oak, coffee and toffee. Oily middle with plenty of barley. Long, juicy, citric, barley’d and toffee’d finish. In conclusion: It definitely needed some water.

Gordon & MacPhail Longmorn Tasting Notes

Gordon & MacPhail ‘Distillery Labels’ Longmorn 2003 (15 year old) 43%

First fill Sherry hogsheads & refill bourbon barrel

Dist: 2003 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Aug 2018

Aromas of sugar coated barley and a touch of apricot, orange, lemon, chocolate malt and dusty oak. There’s some subtle dried fruit in the background but the fragrant, slightly duty American oak is the focus. Lovely juicy citrus character.

The palate opens with the sugar coated barley, white fruit, apricot, banana and a touch of orange and malt. Subtly oaked middle, both bourbon and sherry, but quite dense and oily. Lovely, citric and Alsace-esque fruit finish.

Edition Spirits Longmorn Tasting Notes

Edition Spirits ‘The First Editions’ Longmorn 1998 (21 year old) 56.3%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: EDI0532/ HL17324

Dist: 1998 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Dec 2019

The nose is malty and herbal with baked apple, cider apple, astringent citrus and hints of gooseberry and under ripe banana. A little ascetic as well with subtle vanilla.

The palate is malty and deep with baked apple, coffee and toffee. Less astringent and ascetic than the nose would suggest, probably due to the more noticeable oak. Hints of apricot and lime on the middle. Lightly peppery and violety finish with a touch of granulated sugar. It’s interesting, but not what you would call a mainstream malt!

With water the nose becomes a little too sugary with edgy rhubarb and spice. The palate is similar to it is neat but a touch softer and oilier. Quite a sugary sweet finish with a subtle shredded wheat after-taste.

Claxton’s Longmorn Tasting Notes

Claxton’s ‘The Single Cask’ Longmorn 2008 (10 year old) 52.8%

Bourbon Barrel 1960-1223/ Dist: Aug 2008 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Mar 2019

A very appealing, juicy, fresh and citric nose with lemon, lime, crunchy barley and hints of honeycomb, crystallised orange, tobacco and earth.

The palate is a little fuller with more toffee’d oak, but its still pleasantly citric which balances the oak. Really juicy with sweet barley and honey. Slightly winey and earthy on the middle. Long and remaining citric and barley;d with a subtle, bittering oak finish.

Carn Mor Longmorn Tasting Notes

Carn Mor Celebration of the Cask Longmorn 1991 (24 year old) 60%

Bourbon Hogshead  54954/ Dist: Apr 1991 Btl: Jan 2016/ Tasted: Feb 2016

The aromas are quite dark and Armagnac-esque with prunes and sultanas. A good degree of dusty, slightly herbal follows along with hints of honey and gentle, mature baked fruits and nuts.

The palate is lightly oiled and barley’d with an intensity of dried fruit, although not as Armagnacy as the nose would suggest. Powerful alcohol masks the finish. I mean 60% at this age?

A drop of water makes no change to the nose but it masse the palate sweeter with more barley and soft baked fruit. It also brings out a touch of dusty oak and violets. Medium length now with a slight confected finish.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Longmorn 2009 (9 year old) 46%

Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018

Quite a perfumed nose with honeysuckle, pear, apricot, honey and hints of buttery oak, grist and almond skin.

The palate is lightly oiled with barley, honey, vanilla, butter, almond and toasty oak. A subtle citrus note appears on the middle and then it’s back to the oak, but the citrus eventually holds out.

Carn Mor Strictly Limited Longmorn 2009 (13 year old) 47.5%

First Fill Bourbon Barrel/ Dist: 2009 Btl: 2022/ Tasted: May 2022

A dense, oily and barley’d nose with macerated apricot, nettle leaves, vanilla, toast and hints of stem ginger, minerals and lemon.

The palate opens with subtly sweet oak and barley along with a touch of citrus and soft spice. Good weighty spirit character and balancing citrus and minerals. Long, gingery finish with a nippy spice finish. The alcohol does bite a bit at the end and makes the finish a touch austere.

Longmorn Distillery Tasting Notes

Longmorn 16 year old 48%

Tasted: Dec 2014

A little muted and oily nose but full with barley and lightly floral-ish notes. However it’s not the cleanest spirit in the world. With time a touch of nutty oak.

The palate is a bit on the murky side and oily with hints of coffee, cardboard and bittering oak. Short, hot and bitter.

Mackillop’s Choice Longmorn Tasting Notes

Mackillop’s Choice Longmorn 1988 (28 year old) 60.8%

Bourbon Cask 14357/ Dist: Oct 1988 Btl: Sept 2017/ Tasted: Nov 2017

A big hit of ‘Bourbony’ oak with dark rye-like herbal and spicy notes. Hints of pepper, wood shavings, vanilla, nutmeg and light treacle. Yep, it’s a serious oak fest!

The palate opens with dry, dusty tannins, malt and rye-like spices. Hints of treacle, moist raisinated fruit, violety spice and alcohol follows. The finish is not surprisingly masked and dry, but the sweet vanilla and treacle add some balance. Sweet pepper, cinnamon and ginger notes in the after-taste. Damn that must have been a tight cask!

Water emphasises the oils and brings out some orange and dark chocolate. The palate is still very oaky with dark chocolate and dark wood spice. Long, herbal and peppery finish. It’s a lovely whisky but the character is pretty much all oak derived.

Douglas McGibbon Longmorn Tasting Notes

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Longmorn 2003 (11 year old) 46%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: PRV1126/ DMG10544

Dist: May 2003 Btl: Dec 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015

The nose displays some lightly oiled white fruit and minerals along with hints of herbal barley and toasted toffee.

The palate is quite oak dominated, kicking off with oily toffee and vanilla. Some refreshing citrus and white fruit notes freshen a little but the oily toffee notes remain.

Douglas McGibbon Provenance Longmorn 2003 (11 year old) 46%

sample received at 58.39%

Refill Bourbon Barrel/ Code: PRV1139/ DMG10715

Dist May 2003 Btl: Jun 2015/ Tasted: Dec 2015

Aromas of taught but fragrant barley, spice, white chocolate, herbs, white fruit, straw and green apple. With time hints of buttery oak appear.

The palate is quite barley’d with sweet-ish but drying spices and a touch of wood tannin. Hints of white fruit, apricot and herbs come through on the middle. Long, with lingering spice, barley and finally some buttery oak.

Water helps the nose open up rather well. Sub tropical now with melon, apricot and white fruits. Slightly grassy with the oak still subtle and still buttery. The palate is not as tropical as the nose. Again the barley leads off. Still pleasantly fruity with hints of straw and pepper in the finish.

Speciality Drinks Longmorn Tasting Notes

Speciality Drinks ‘Single Malts of Scotland’ Longmorn 1992 (21 year old) 49.7%

Sherry Hogshead 110979/ Dist: Sept 1992 Btl: Mar 2014/ Tasted: July 2014

Youthful, dark, malty and herbal nose with balsamic hints along with some dried, pruney fruit and dark grains. Very intense with a serious earthy character. With time a touch of lanolin, musk and earthy spice appears.

The palate is soft and very coffee’d. Again the dark grains, malt and treacle go head to head. There a touch of almost sherried dried fruit on the middle with developing cocoa and spice notes. Long and spicy with just a soupçon of tannin, but a shed load of dark, grainy spices! The spices become a little rye-like in their intensity and a touch of bitter chocolate comes through on the after-taste. In conclusion: Good whisky and dark chocolate is a great combination, especially when it’s in the same glass!