Longmorn 35 yo 1976 Thosop vs Longmorn 46 yo 1964 /2010 Book of Kells #1539 Gordon & MacPhail
Longmorn is undoubtedly one of the stars of Speyside. Unfortunately this star was never allowed to shine too brightly, as it is remains a heart malt of the Chivas range. I’ve always thought Longmorn really excels with age and those sherried glories from Gordon & Macphail are examples of what wonders long age and a great butt can work.
Longmorn 35 yo 1976 Thosop 53%
Nose: A naked nose round and sweetly malty. Sponge cake and cream, in a orchard at harvest in a sunny mid-afternoon. Ripe apples, pears and yellow plums. Green grapes and rhubarb. Something oven fresh buttery in it too. Bark scrapings, and Darjeeling. Evergreen. No way I could have guessed at the age.
Palate: Here buttery and sweetly malty. Great oily weight and then a splash of citrus juice, fresh mint sprigs, pineapple and just a wonderful bright juiciness. Packs quite some heat too, and dry grass plus more scraped bark. Full of vitality and youth.
Finish: Long, zest fresh sweet juice and still that pile of grass clippings from last week.
Longmorn 46 yo 1964 /2010 Book of Kells #1539 Gordon & MacPhail 53%
Nose: This one is hugely sherried, standing somewhere inbetween the jammy sweet sort of sherry and the phenolic tarry sort. So blackberry jam, raw cocoa, nutmeg, spiced figs, but also a teaspoon of soy and bubbly pitch. And lots of resin and dried herbal bark. Not a hint of roughness or any off-notes. Great long sherry maturation, with sublime depth and the balance right now is just so.
Palate: Deep full rich dry aromatic full of bubbly berry jam on the stove, some rich fig dessert topped with sweet spices and lots of shaved chocolate again, interesting… now it takes a turn towards a resinous side with a touch of herbal bitters, herbal teas, tobacco, black tea leaves, cinchona, liquorice, soot, again touched of soy and tar. Great news is that the oak is kept in check and the tannins relateively tame.
Finish: Long, full of these dry leafy notes and resin. Quite a dry pucker of a finish. One of the good ones.
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