Review 141: Longmorn 20yo Whisky Broker

Let's review a 20 year old Longmorn from Scottish bottler Whisky Broker. This is the last of the excellent set of samples that Steffen shared with me. Thanks again! I don't know too much about this sample, other than it's a 20 year old Longmorn and it's from cask H71752, which looks like it's ex-sherry. I'd guess the vintage is probably somewhere around 1992.

Longmorn 20yo Whisky Broker 

Color: Amber +2

ABV: 55.7%

Aroma Neat:
Richly Seasoned Oak (gentle delivery), Syrupy Wood Sugars (lots), Muscovado Sugar, Tobacco/Cigars, Dry Vanilla, Dusty Books, Old Leather Belts, Golden Syrup, Tinder/Sawdust, Sweet Wort, Cook Cereal Grains, Roasted Walnuts/Pecans in Caramel.

Wow, really excellent on the nose. It smells a lot older than 20 years and is well integrated, but complex. There is an excellent tobacco/spice component that reminds me very much of good rye whiskies. It takes a few minutes for any grain to be noticeable.

Aroma Water:
Richly Seasoned Oak, Spicy/Dark Cigar Tobacco, Prickly Spice (ground pepper, cloves, cinnamon), Toasted Vanilla in Caramel, Mashed Bananas/Bananas Foster, Cinders (not ashy, but carbony/charcoal), Oiled Leather, Boot Polish, Wood Varnish.  

Very bourbony... Is Steffen playing a trick on me? He's been known to do that sort of thing. I'm beginning to doubt that this was a sherry cask, because there are a lot of American oak trademarks evident. Namely, I'm noticing a good amount of vanilla and bananas.

Taste Neat:
Rich Oak, Dry Weighty Tannins, Thick Caramel, Charcoal/Barrel Char, Leather, Spicy Tobacco, Toasted/Burnt Vanilla, Pink Peppercorns, Cloves, Dried Orange Rind/Cointreau.

Quite woody now. I wouldn't call it over-wooded, but it is definitely on the woody side for scotch. Like the nose, I'm reminded of American whisky, bourbon or rye, that's quite woody due to maturation in newly charred casks. Maybe this was actually matured in a bourbon barrel, because there is a notable amount of vanilla and not too many of the typical fruity sherry influence. Hey, it could be an ex-rye cask... Now there's an idea!

Taste Water:
Spicy Tobacco, Dark Brown Sugar/Lighter Rum, Syrupy Oak/Wood Sugars, Barrel Char/Charcoal, Industrial Soot, Old Leather, Cloves, Dried Orange Rind, Peppercorns (slightly).

Probably the most bourbon-like scotch I've ever tasted. This wears it well, though.

Finish:
Thick Caramel, Sticky Brown Sugar, Drying Barrel Char, Seasoned Oak.

Warming and of medium duration. Wood and darkly sweet, as the rest of the whisky was.

Conclusion:
Woody, rye spice palate. Very bizarre for a scotch whisky, but complex and inviting.

Very woody and spicy/tobacco-centric palate. Again, very much like American whisky.

Finish in good keeping with the palate.

Rating: 87/100

Assuming Steffen hasn't tricked me, I have to say that this was a really interesting Scotch. It really is quite like a big, woody American whisky. It's not as sweet as a lot of bourbons I've had, which hints towards this being malt, but the wood influence is so powerful that I can't be very confident in that assertion. Whatever this dram is, it's very, very good whisky.

Ok, I checked Steffen's blog for a review of this whisky and found it here. Looks like he didn't trick me, but also found this to be somewhat like bourbon, although he noticed a lot more fruit than I did. I've only had a few Longmorns, but so far I've been very impressed.

Josh