The finale for my Longmorn week— one of the oldest Longmorn I have had the privilege to pour. Gordon and MacPhail bottled this whisky for David Le Cornu, a pioneer of the whisky scene in Australia, during the halcyon days of old malts in the early 2000s.

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Whisky: Longmorn 33 Year (1974), Gordon & MacPhail Cask 7685 “David Le Cornu”

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 43.7%

Cask: Sherry Butt

Age: 33 Years (Distilled 1974, Bottled 2007)

Note: Dried fruits and aged tea emerged on the aroma as lapsang souchong and dried tangerines paired with orange peel and sweet potato stuffed cakes. Time brought waxed leather and subtle aromatic woods with hints of dry florals to the fore. Light-bodied and balanced with rich dried fruits, subtle florals, aromatic wood, and melted wax— it was classy and initially subdued. A kiss of salt and underlying savory quality, umami if you like, led to herbal tobacco, lapsang souchong, and dried flower petals— like tea in a garden. Water was unnecessary, but it brought out more tropical notions with mango and passionfruit. The finish was medium-length and drying with slightly medicinal herbal tea and dried fruits.

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Score: 8-9 (90)

Mental Image: Garden Tea with the Emperor

Narrative & Notes: Immaculate. If there was any blemish here, it was the finish, which I found a touch overly drying and short— I really wanted those flavors to linger longer between sips, but they faded with a growing dryness a bit too quickly. Otherwise, lovely. The aroma was rich and varied, with well-structured notions of dried fruits, florals, and tea that complimented one another as they shifted into focus.  The palate was light, as you might expect for something of this vintage and age, yet full-flavored with plenty of fruits, tea, and savory umami. The balancing act between flavors brought to mind a delicate, though very athletic, toe-dance or gymnast on the balance beam. It never tripped or waived, the composed nature of the flavors belied their strength.

Overall, while I really enjoyed this, I found that when I revisited it, I wanted more of the tropical fruity Longmorn character to come through. It was there in spurts, but the excellent cask took control for the most part.  The wife, who tasted it blind, found it too light and too straightforward, with dates and dried fruits up front and then fresh pineapple toward the end. I did not expect it to be up her alley, but I was surprised it did not resonate at all. Guess it’s just me and the emperor for tea.