Longmorn 16 Year

This is one from the archives - I actually drafted this review back in 2014, when a friend gave me the final few drams of his bottle of Longmorn 16 - it was the first bottle he purchased for more than $100. My notes languished in my email until I decided to clean out my inbox this weekend. 

Longmorn is a Speyside distillery, located near Benriach (founded by the same man, John Duff) and Linkwood and Glen Elgin, and under the current Pernod Ricard ownership it has attempted to position itself as an ultra-premium product.

The 16-year expression replaced a former 15-year, which I haven't had, but as of October 2016 the 16-year has itself been replaced by a revamped 16-year (this review is of the previous incarnation). The old 16-Year was $110 a bottle, on average. The new one, which uses even higher quality barrels, is ~$200 a bottle (!!). 

Bottled at 48% ABV, no chill-filtering, but it is colored. 

Nose: Classic Speyside. Fresh apples, buckets of apples - green ones, and their pungent peels. There is a woodiness that combines with the apples to suggest a whiff of apple brandy or calvados. In the background is a light citrus note. A caramel malt flavor comes and goes. 

Mouthfeel: Medium body.

Palate: Follows the nose, but adds a few new flavors to the mix. The citrus comes through like a fine limoncello. Apples are  very rich, against suggesting apple brandy - as does the heavy alcohol burn. As the palate develops, the oakiness takes over and dries out the mouth, and suggests good chocolate. 

Finish: Despite the drying effect, a good medium-to-long finish, containing lots of malt and vanilla and maybe a hint of mint. 

Verdict: This would be a fantastic choice ... at half the price. At ~$100 a bottle, it's hard to justify. And the new bottling, at roughly twice the price, would have to offer an experience like Aberlour A'bunadh on steroids to earn its keep. It's layered, and interesting, and attractive, and tasty, but it's not life-altering, and it's not particularly intriguing, and it doesn't provide a massive "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh" when you drink it. It's not quite the ultra-premium whisky it wants to be. Maybe the 23-year expression that they offer is, but the 16 just can't quite cut it. Still, if you find some on sale, or abandoned in a bar or liquor cabinet somewhere... give it a shot.