It’s always fun to discover a new single malt Scotch whisky. What that usually means, however, is that it’s new to you and not actually new to the market, because most distilleries in Scotland have been around for at least a century. However, there're a few that haven’t been available here in America until recently. Such is the case with Longmorn.
If you’re unfamiliar with Longmorn, you’re not alone. The distillery was founded in 1894 in the Speyside region of Scotland, which is home to other much better-known distilleries like Glenfiddich, The Glenlivet, and The Macallan.
Longmorn is owned by French drinks company Pernod Ricard, and for many years the whisky has been used as a key component in the Chivas Regal blend. The distillery has also been releasing single malts for years; it’s just that, aside from the occasional Secret Speyside release you could find on the secondary market, Longmorn hasn't had much of a presence stateside.
That changed last winter with the introduction of two excellent age statement whiskies, an 18- and 22-year-old, clearly defining the brand as part of the luxury whisky market.
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Just last month, the distillery introduced another new high-end whisky to American drinkers: a 30-year-old single malt that's worth the splurge. Previously, 30-year-old versions of Longmorn have appeared as part of the Chivas Brothers Lost in Time collection and as a single cask release, but this new whisky will be a permanent member of the lineup released in annual batches.
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The whisky was aged for at least three decades in a combination of hogsheads and American oak barrels. It’s bottled at cask strength of 44.5 percent ABV. There’s a rich complexity to this whisky, which after 30 years in casks has achieved a nice balance of sweetness, spice, and oak flavors. There are notes of vanilla, burnt orange, dark chocolate, molasses, burnt sugar, and oaky smoke on the palate—though this is an unpeated whisky—and just the right amount of tropical fruit that often arrives when a Scotch reaches this age.
Longmorn 30 is a pricy bottle at about $2,000, but this is a single malt that is worth the splurge. You can find it available now at speciality retailers around the country.
Related: How to Drink Scotch Whisky: Experts Share Their Best Tips
