Longmorn 26 Year (1992), Signatory Vintage
Whisky : Longmorn 26 Year (1992), Signatory Vintage
Country/Region : Scotland/Speyside
ABV : 51.1%
Cask : Hogshead
Age : 26 Year (Distilled 10 April 1992, Bottled 29 May 2018)
Nose : Syrupy fruits, berries, and pastries. Loads of dried orchard fruits and wood with notes of apple slices, pears, peaches, cinnamon apple sauce, and sawdust. Hints of black pepper came through before the dram turned toward the sugary roasty notes of an espresso bar with wine-like freshly roasted beans, coffee cake, and blueberry muffins.
Palate : Thick and oily with tropical fruits, orchard fruits, and peppery spice. A turn to the tropics as notes of overripe passionfruit and guava appeared before orchard fruits settled on the palate with peaches, apricots, and honey crisp apples. Lovely background spice with black pepper, cinnamon, and nutmeg. A fruit pie came to mind as pastry notes built at the end with sweet milk chocolate.
Finish : Lingering dried fruit and candied ginger.
Score : 7
Mental Image : Fruit Pie Bakeoff Blue Ribbon
Notes : A tasty old Longmorn, this had ample amounts of sweet fruits and a few of those dry notes which detracted from the other twenty-something Longmorns I reviewed a while ago. This was juicy and sweet— I really thought this was matured or finished in a sherry cask when I first tried it. Considering the fruit and spice, I was surprised that this spent its whole life in a hogshead. It is possible the hogshead had been treated with sherry, but this did remind me a bit of SMWS’s “Everlasting Tropical Love Sauce” which was also exceptionally fruit and aged in an ex-bourbon hogshead.
This was wonderfully balanced between fruit and spice. While I wish it leaned into the tropical notes a bit more, I enjoyed how pastries notes build on the backend to contrast against the fruit. I kept thinking of fruit pies as I sipped on this; whether it be tropical fruits in a butter crust or my wife’s cinnamon-cardamom apple pie. While this checked a lot of boxes, it was a bit hot on the nose and a bit too sweet on the palate. A few drops of water accentuated some of the sugary notes even further, though it did tame the hint of heat.
Overall, a really nice twenty-something Longmorn. The distillery continues to be one of my favorites, especially when they are full of tropical fruit and pastry notes.
Image Credit : whizzky.net
