Speyside distillery Longmorn unveils two expressions – 18 Year Old and 22 Year Old single malts – that will form the foundation of a whole new whisky range.
For a distillery that has never stopped producing whisky in its 130-year history – a time spanning two world wars – its whiskies can be difficult to get hold off. But that’s because for the longest time, Speyside single malt distillery Longmorn almost exclusively made whisky for blending.
Longmorn has a storied history. First founded by John Duff in 1894 near the town of Elgin in the heart of Scotland’s famous Speyside whisky region, it underwent several owners from The Glenlivet Distillers to Seagram, and now, Chivas Brothers under Pernod Ricard.
Throughout that time, production was mostly dedicated for blends. In Chivas Regal today, for example. Longmorn has only been available as a single malt bottling in 1993 as a 15-year old release, which was later replaced in 2007 with a 16-year old.
And perhaps because of that rarity, Longmorn is a favourite among independent bottlers. Its whiskies often show up as independent releases from the likes of Gordon & MacPhail, Secret Speyside, Signatory Vintage, or Scotch Malt Whisky Society (SMWS), and prized by enthusiasts and collectors alike.
So when Longmorn recently announced two official expressions, it’s nothing short of whisky history. In fact those two new releases, the Longmorn 18 Year Old and Longmorn 22 Year Old, would form the base of a whole new official core range direct from the iconic Speyside distillery.
Both are single batch whiskies that are non-chill filtered and matured primarily in American oak casks, offering Longmorn’s signature creamy sweetness so desired by whisky blenders.
Incredibly they come as highly aged releases. The youngest of the new range is an 18 Year Old, an age statement that’s usually at the higher end from most other distilleries. More importantly, in my opinion, is that both are also presented at cask strength, allowing keen whisky enthusiasts to truly understand the distillery’s house style.
According to its official tasting notes, the 18 Year Old offers a flavour profile reminiscent of toffee apples, apricots and a subtly sweet finish of creamy milk chocolate, while the 22 Year-Old brings on notes of hazelnut praline and luscious toffee with delicate citrus and poached pears.
They come in wholly new and refined packaging, with Art Deco-style design of gold and purple that hints at its heritage.
A 30 Year Old release is set to join the new core range in the near future.
“This year is Longmorn’s 130th anniversary. Throughout that time, Longmorn has never stopped producing, refining, and perfecting single malt whisky of the signature Speyside style from its inception by entrepreneur John Duff to today. The new deep purple and statement gold design which celebrates Longmorn’s origin story makes these bottles the perfect addition to any drinker, collector or connoisseur’s cabinet,” says Jayne Murphy, Marketing Director for Malts at Chivas Brothers.
Interestingly, the name Longmorn is actually derived from “Lhanmorgund”, which is Gaelic for “the place of the holy man”, built as it is on the site of an old chapel. It has, contrary to popular misconception, absolutely nothing to do with time of day. But I like to think, romantically, that these two new Longmorn releases do mark the dawn of a new and prosperous era for the Speyside single malt distillery.
The Longmorn 18 Year Old and the Longmorn 22 Year Old come at a recommended retail price of S$340 and S$540 respectively. They are available at selected retailers and on Le Cercle.
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