Whisky : Longmorn 15 Year SMWS 7.241 “Hang Loose”

Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside

ABV : 60.7%

Cask : 14Y Ex-Bourbon, 1Y Refill Jamaican Rum

Age : 15 Years (Distilled 7 Sept. 2004)

Nose : Fruit, spice, and a kiss of salt.  Fragrant tropical fruits came right away: papaya or mango with lime, apple bananas, and mountain apples.  Aromatic cinnamon sticks, sugar cane rum baba cake, and old bamboo.  Hints of sea breeze, plumerias, and a tropical botanical garden.

Palate : Medium bodied with a nice syrupy quality that carried tropical fruits and subtle spice.  Fried plantains, sliced chico/sapodilla, and soursop arrived at first while a peppery cinnamon spice lingering in the background.  Crushed sugar cane with lime, sun bleached bamboo shack, dried palm fronts, and just a hint of tropical florals toward the end.  

Finish : Lingering crushed cane and mineral-maritime notes.

Score : 7

Mental Image : Beach Shack

Notes : The rum influence on this paired beautifully with the fruity Longmorn spirit.  This was delightful with its fragrant aroma and syrupy-fruity flavor profile.  While I am not sure I hear “the sound of a ʻukulele” that SMWS referenced in its tasting notes, this dram was intensely tropical with notes of tropical fruits and sugarcane.  There was not much else to say about this dram, it was loaded with fruit and absolutely delicious.  I do wish the finish had been a bit longer and I did find that the palate was gradually dominated by black sugar buns, but those are quibbles and this was just fine.

Overall, a great use of a rum cask to highlight a fruity malt.  There was a lot to love and anyone who enjoys a good Longmorn or a nice rum cask will find plenty to appreciate.