Langatun is the Celtic version of the name Langenthal, a settlement that can be traced back to the year 861. The name means ‘the fortified place on the Langa’. The word ‘Langa’ is an Old European name for water. Water is one of the most important ingredients in whisky making. The name of Langatun whisky is therefore a tribute to the area’s first settlers and brewers. Their traditions were adopted, continued and developed by Baumberger’s descendants.When newly qualified master brewer Jakob Baumberger returned from Munich to his native country in 1857, he founded a distillery, which he ran on his father’s farm with his seven brothers. Jakob’s father, Niklaus, was a farmer, pub landlord and brandy distiller.

In 1859 he took over the Mumenthaler-Marti brewery in Langenthal, which had been in existence since 1785. Jakob Baumberger bought the brewery in 1863 and turned it into a flourishing business. The repeal of the ban in Switzerland on distilling from grain and potatoes in 1999 laid the foundations for Hans Baumberger III to pursue his great-grandfather’s vision and, in the best family tradition, create hand-crafted ‘LANGATUN’ single malt whiskies. Due to its steady growth and market position, in 2014 Langatun Distillery AG relocated whisky production from St. Urbanstrasse in Langenthal, to the historic, protected Kornhaus in Aarwangen, and increased the number of employees. This new home was perfect for expanding the distillery and welcoming an ever-increasing number of visitors. Above all, however, the Kornhaus perfectly embodied the Baumberger family’s long tradition and history of brewing and distilling.
Despite this, as the name suggests, even today Langatun whisky is still matured in casks in Langenthal.

The Whiskyphiles tasting notes

Official bottling

Independent bottling

that boutique-y whisky company

• Langatun 5 Years Old Batch 3 (2021) - A touch woody but with some lovely sweet and floral notes, also a little bit vegetal on the palate. 79/100