Whisky: Longmorn 17 Year (2003), SMWS 7.264 “Seventh heaven”

Country/Region: Scotland/Speyside

ABV: 55.8%

Cask: First Fill Bourbon

Age: 17 Years (17 Nov. 2003)

Nose: Tropical fruits, kiwi and guava candies, coconut oil, lotion, mint, hints of lemongrass and ginger, a kiss of salt, and an occasional touch of spirit.

Palate: Medium-bodied, tropical fruit syrups, guava, vanilla, coconut ice cream, kiwi candies, slightly grassy, cured oak, hints of salted, pickled plum, li hing mui, at the end.

Finish: Medium-length and slightly drying with oak, tropical fruit, and subtle creamy lotion.

Score: 7

Mental Image: Shave Ice Shop Specials Board

Narrative & Notes: The aroma was beautifully tropical, with a kiss of spirited prickle as it developed. Lovely tropical mango, lychee, and hints of pineapple paired with sweet, tangy kiwi and guava candies. Coconut arrived with a subtle cream and gave the impression of coconut oil or lotion with hints of lemon grass, ginger, and mint. A kiss of salt popped on occasion with woody cured bamboo. Medium-bodied, the flavor profile closely mirrored the aroma with guava, lychee, pineapple, and vanilla syrups leading to coconut ice cream. Kiwi and guava candies lingered on the mid-palate with subtle grass, oak, and cured bamboo. Waiting at the end was a tickle of spirit and li hing mui powder, salted pickled plum. The finish was medium-length and slightly drying with wood, tropical fruits, and creamy coconut lotion.

I love a good tropical Longmorn, and this was bursting with tropical fruits. I only wish the spirit felt a bit more refined and weighty on the palate; the spirited prickle was not overly distracting, but it gave the impression of a whisky that was somehow incomplete or a bit rough around the edges. A good buddy also had a bottle of this and added a stave of mizunara oak to it; after a good six months in his freezer (to presumably slow down the wood interactions), I thought the malt had improved quite a bit, the flavors felt thicker and the mouthfeel more balanced.

Overall, this was good, certainly a few rungs better than average, but not quite extraordinary. It felt like it was on the road to greatness, though, so I hope SMWS has held back some of the sibling casks for further maturation, maybe even a few years finished in a second-fill wine cask of some kind. I rarely say to myself, this whisky could use some time in another cask, but here we are.