Langatun Old Deer 46%
Unpeated malt, matured in ex Chardonnay and Sherry casks.
Dist: May 2010 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016
Young and malty aromas with malt extracted and malt biscuits. Well I said it was malty! Beneath a touch of rose petals, spicy sherry can be discerned along with some winey notes. The maltiness does subside with time but that allows the sherry to come to the fore.
The palate opens with rose petal marc-like notes and malt biscuits. Very herbal with heather and provencal garrigue notes. The sherry has a slight boiled sweet character and imparts a little light coffee’d tannin and a touch of treacle on the middle. Good length with lingering heather and garrigue.
Langatun Old Deer 40%
Re-Tasted: June 2016
Nose: Well that’s a bit different! Provencal herbs and malt biscuits along with subtle sherry spice (cinnamon and ginger). A light marc-like note appears as well as a touch of salt.
Palate: Opens with some tart citrus, followed by light honey, malt, Provencal herbs and heather. Lightly treacly sherry comes through on the middle but it’s the herbal notes that take centre stage.
Finish: Long and crisp with the citrus returning, augmented by some soft sherry spice and lingering rose petal marc notes.
Conclusion: Very impressive and unlike a number of European whiskies it seems to have spent a bit of time in oak!
Langatun Old Deer Cask Proof 62.1%
Unpeated malt, matured in ex Chardonnay and Sherry casks.
Dist: May 2010 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016
The nose is fresher than the 46% bottling with a distinct grain-like dried fruit character along with some tight French oak tannins. The sherry is very subtle and adds a touch of prune and raisin before developing more fruitcake notes. Lightly malty and herbal with heather and garrigue.
The palate is intense and winey with more sherry character. Malty and treacly with again raisin, prune and sultana. It’s quite alcoholic but it’s well integrated, however it does mask the finish a little. Finishes with lightly herbal marc-like notes.
Water doesn’t make much change to the nose, possibly emphasising the grain-like notes. On the palate the sherry takes a back seat to the grain-like character and the French oak. A little dry on the finish with lingering herbs and malt biscuits.
Langatun Old Deer Cask Proof 62.8%
Btl: 2016/ Tasted: July 2016
The nose opens with plenty of grippy but soft sherrywood tannins, crisp, grain-like dried fruit and hints of, honeyed chardonnay apple, Provencal herbs and heather. Lightly malty with late hints of warm vanilla and earth. Very well balanced.
The palate is intense and woody with sherried dried fruit, treacle and malt. The woodiness is softened by the warm vanilla notes but the dried grape comes back on the middle. Long and herbal with lingering sweet malt, liquorice and lightly bitter chocolaty tannins.
Water gives the nose a beautiful, silky sheen, whilst emphasising the herbal notes and making them almost rye-like in character. On the palate it makes it wonderfully succulent and brings forward the malt and grain-like dried fruit. A little more taught French oak can be discerned now and the finish is still long and herbal.
Langatun Old Bear 46%
Peated malt, aged in ex-Chateauneuf-du-Pape casks
Dist: May 2010 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016
Scrubby and smoky aromas with heather, garrigue and herbal accented winey notes. Well balanced with hints of barley and rose petals. The herbal notes take on an almost hoppy character and with time a touch of sweet peat smoke appears.
The palate is very herbal and garriguey with rose petals and spicy, winey red fruit. Hints of malt biscuits and mentholated herbs comes through on the middle along with some earthy peat. Good length with lingering menthol, heather and garrigue.
Langatun Old Bear Cask Proof 62.8%
Peated malt, aged in ex-Chateauneuf-du-Pape casks
Dist: May 2010 Btl: Feb 2016/ Tasted: Apr 2016
Bottling at cask strength has really ramped up the wineness! Very intense with malt, sweet red fruit, sweet peat and subtle sweet spices. A touch of smoke appears with time along with some rose petals.
The palate is as winey as the nose suggests with grainy tannic wood spices and dried red fruit. The garrigue and herbal notes are quite subtle and although fairly alcoholic it is well integrated. Now the full force of the garrigue comes through on the finish! Long, coffee’d and malty with lingering Balcones-esque burnt scrub notes.
Water makes the nose a little subtler but still quite winey. On the palate a little more peat can be discerned. More malty with the wine cask just adding a slightly syrupy sheen. Still long with lingering herbal notes. A very unique flavour profile.
Langatun Old Bear Cask Proof 62.4%
Btl: 2016/ Tasted: July 2016
Aromas of winey red fruits, barley, malt and sweet herbs. The peat is quite subtle and herbal with some medicinal notes in the background. Hints of cinnamon, and coffee’d spice appear with time.
The palate opens with the winey red fruit, malt, cereal and wood spice. The Provencal herbal character comes through on the middle. Long and mouth-watering with a huge hit of heather and garrigue, malt and coffee. The toasty oak notes linger along with subtle earthy peat, smoke and burnt herbs.
Water makes the nose softer and subtler (on the wine) with a little more sweet barley and apricot. The palate is maltier, fuller and beautifully integrated. Long and lightly winey now with the spicy red fruit lingering.
Langatun Winter Wedding 46%
A marriage of Old Deer and Old Bear.
Tasted: July 2016
Intense, malty and herbal aromas with coffee, subtle herbal peat and red fruits. It unwinds to show hints of cinnamon, apricot, banana, pepper, rose petals and spicy dried fruit and oak. Lovely depth.
The palate is full and malty with apricot and red fruits mingling with coffee and Provencal herbs. Subtly peated with lightly oiled banana, apricot and a lovely combination of dried red fruit and dried sherried fruit comes through on the middle. Long and spicy with lingering herbs, malt and coffee.
Langatun 400 Jahre Kornhaus Single Cask 49.12%
Bottled to celebrate the 400th Anniversary of the distillery building, a former granary.
Ex-chardonnay Cask No45
Dist: Nov 2008 Btl: May 2016/ Tasted: July 2016
An intense and crisp nose with honey, fresh barley, malt, oxidised/ bruised apple, apricot, tangerine and hints of juniper, pine and herbs. The oak is incredibly subtle which allows the spirit character to shine.
The palate is full and barley’d with hints of vanilla and honey. Hints of white fruit and crisp apple follow. Lightly malty and herbal on the middle with a touch of coffee’d oak and subtle treacle. Long and lightly spiced with hints of French oak tannins and lingering ,malt and coffee.
Langatun Jacob’s Dram 49.12%
Single Pinot Noir Cask No 97
Dist: Sept 2009 Btl: Jun 2016/ Tasted: Mar 2017
Intense, earthy, winey red fruit aromas with perfumed barley and hints of marzipan, coffee and red berries. With time a light smokiness appears along with the classic Provencal-esque herbal notes and straw.
The palate opens with the sweet red berries, milk chocolate and chunky, grainy coffee’d wood tannins. Subtle heather and Provencal-esque herbs come through on the middle and the finish is long with the red fruit lingering along with the milk chocolate and coffee. Lovely intensity and balance.
Langatun 2010 (6 year old) ‘The White House’ 45%
Chardonnay & CNdP cask/ Dist: Oct 2010 Btl: Nov 2016/ Tasted: May 2017
A dense. herbal and oily nose with malt, barley and a subtle winey note. Hints of biscuits, white fruit, marzipan, toasty vanilla and musky floral notes follow.
The palate is soft and barley’d with the usual, subtle Provencal herbal character. Lovely depth and complexity with vanilla, butterscotch, white fruit, chocolate-malt and vanilla ice cream. Gentle, spicy finish with lingering oak, chewy malt and a smidge of drying tannins.
Langatun Sauternes Finish 2010 (6 year old) 49.12%
Cask 283/ Dist: Dec 2010 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Dec 2017
Aromas of burnt/ toasted grape and edgy dried apricot. Subtly herbal with thyme, wild honey and a touch of floral barley, light peat smoke and orange blossom honey. The sauternes is very dominant.
Burnt/ toasted grape and herbal dried fruit on the palate with caramel, honey and edgy, herbal spices. Intense and grippy, tannic middle and a dry finish with lingering herbal honey and a coffee’d after-taste. Like the nose, the palate is overly Sauternes dominated.
Langatun 2011 (6 year old) Oloroso Sherry Finished 49.12%
Initial maturation in ex-Chardonnay casks, finished for 10 weeks in ex-First Fill Oloroso
Dist: Dec 2011 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Dec 2017
Enveloping aromas of coffee’d first fill Oloroso and treacle, but some sharper citrus notes balance. Hints of barley appear and with time the sherry becomes quite grapey and chocolaty with orange conserve, toasted walnuts, green cashew and thyme.
The palate is coffee’d and grapey with treacle and herbal Oloroso. Hints of dark chocolate and more treacle emerge. Long and juicy with lingering green cashew, peanut, raisinated grape and coffee. Although the palate is exceptionally clean it doesn’t quite display the balance of the nose.
Langatun 2011 (6 year old) Quinta do Zambujeiro Cask 49.12%
Dist: Dec 2011 Btl: Aug 2017/ Tasted: Dec 2017
The nose is delightfully juicy and winey with redcurrant/ berry and hints of soft spice. The classic, Provencal, herbal character of the spirit comes through along with a touch of barley. Superbly balanced and elegant with late earth and vanilla notes.
The palate is wonderfully natural and earthy. Showing the same balance of Provencal herbal sprit character, barley and subtle wine notes that the nose suggests. Wonderfully berried middle with late red fruit and spice, but still the spirit character isn’t overwhelmed. Long with coffee, woody spice, chocolate and lingering red fruit.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 