Carn Mor Vintage Collection: Longmorn 1996 (Scottish Speyside Single Malt Whisky: 13 Years: 46% ABV)
Visual: Light grain to bracken.
Viscosity: Fast thick streaks.
Nose: Notable alcohol. Soft lemon. Husked grain. Water turns to corn fields.
Body: Lemon sponge. Notable alcohol. Golden syrup cake. Slick feel. Menthol and peppermint. Oaked. Lime. Water makes more gentle, sweet and smooth. Light strawberry comes out with more water along with a shredded wheat character.
Finish: Dry, yet golden syrup flavoured. Oak. Crackers. More oaked with water and black liquorice bits.
Conclusion: I’m never quite sure if that has actually fully opened up. I’m still adding water to taste as I write. Still, I have had a fair chunk of it, and it has already progressed so I think I have a fair handle on it.
Top and tail this whisky never really clicks. The aroma is slightly closed, too burning without water, too muted once water is added. Tail and into the finish it too oaken, which weighs over all the other elements.
So, erm, yeah, a bad start for this one then. The middle does have a bit of play though. While it is hard to tell neat, there is a soothing soft lemon sponge character. Water helps, giving the soft sponge and soft fruit room to roam. Even with water it feels a tad rough around the edges, but the base core suggest a softer, more pleasant, whisky that it so much wants to be.
I can’t really recommend it based on that though – there is a good soft whisky in here somewhere, but the harsh edges makes me think it would have been better in something a bit more booming to age it.
Background: Bottled in 2009 from a hogshead cask, this proved a good chance to do some notes for Longmorn whisky, which I have tried before but never got around to doing notes for. Its a nice 20cl in size, small enough to not be a too huge commitment, but large enough to get a feel for the whisky. One of 1377 bottles, I grabbed this from Independent Spirit. Drunk whilst listening to Frank Carter and the Rattlesnakes and Against Me! for a pumped up background music set.
