Longmorn 1976 Whiskyman (53%, Thosop, 2011)

• Category: Speyside single malt scotch whisky
• Origin: Longmorn Distillery
• Bottling: Thosop
• ABV: 53%
• Cost: ~ €200 (£9.95 per dram at Fiddler’s)
• Score: 93/100

What they say:

Distilled in 1976 at Longmorn Distillery this has matured for over 35 Years in a bourbon barrel before producing 134 bottles at cask strength of 53% at outturn in 2011.

What I say:

During our visit to Fiddlers we had the chance to select out a couple of whiskies to sample with our lunch. Despite the huge selection and potential for sampling numerous closed distilleries of which many I hadn’t sampled before I simply could not pass up the chance to sample this birth year Longmorn expression. Bottled by Thosop  (a label founded by Luc Timmermans) these expressions are  distributed by The Whiskyman (Dominiek Bouckaert) since 2011.

Colour:

Refractive dark amber gold (10/20), light tears leave medium-thick legs

Nose:

Fragrant and fruity, fresh fruits, pear, tinned pineapple, mango, some spiced ginger and cinnamon, oak wood, beeswax candles, rose, sweet orange marmalade

Taste:

Thick and oily in mouthfeel, more fruits, pear, orange, grapefruit, mango and pineapple, floral blossom overtones, again spices appear with orange and ginger marmalade, stem ginger and cinnamon, woody oak slightly tannic and tea-like or leathery like suede, caramel toffee and butterscotch add to the woody sugars.

Finish:

Mdeium-long, more sweet and fresh fruits and blossom with toffee and oak wood

Overall:

A beautiful old Longmorn expression full of fruit and flowers, flawless!