Middle-aged Longmorn OB vs IB


July 7, 2025

WF’s Little Duos, today middle-aged Longmorn OB vs IB
We’re about to get the latest of the official 18-year-olds, which I believe followed the famous 16-year-old that somewhat alarmed enthusiasts at the time, due to its very high price compared to the previous 15-year-old. In short, we’re going to compare this latest 18-year-old with an IB of a similar age, randomly selected from the sample library at WF HQ.

Longmorn 18 yo (48%, OB, +/-2025)

Aged in American oak and traditional hogsheads. Careful, not to be confused with the Annual Releases 2023 or 2024, which are cask strength. Colour: gold. Nose: this strikes me as much better than the recent 16s (circa 2022) which rather lacked oomph, now this one’s quite rounded and soft, and clearly more on the pâtissier side than the fruity, especially if one compares it to bottlings from the 1980s. Custard, warm scones, shortbread, dandelion blossoms, notes of orange liqueur, touches of redcurrant and apple, then white chocolate and a little coconut, all with due restraint… In short, everything's ticking along nicely. Mouth: more malty on the palate, a touch rougher after that very civilised nose, more on candied oranges and lemon zest, then baked apples with a good bit of cinnamon. Stewed peaches. Finish: fairly long, more citrus-forward, with orange, pear, honey, and also a few grassy touches. A bit of panettone then turns up, especially on the aftertaste. No complaints whatsoever. Comments: what one might call a perfect allrounder, I don’t see who wouldn’t like this (barring a few fierce competitors). It does better than simply stand in the shadow of its cousin at Glenlivet.
SGP:551 - 87 points.

Longmorn 17 yo 2007/2024 (43.8%, Whisky-Doris, barrel, 132 bottles)

A small and thoroughly trustworthy German outfit, warmly recommended. Worth noting this is genuine cask strength, no reduction whatsoever. Colour: chardonnay. Nose: exactly what one hopes for from a slightly old-school independent bottler, meaning a malt close to the distillate yet with its own character—here we’re treated to some lovely notes of chalk and apples which, to be honest, bring to mind a good champagne made purely from pinot meunier. Those are all the rage these days, by the way. In short, I adore this nose. Mouth: getting closer to the fine official bottling, but even though it’s 5 degrees lower in strength, this one feels punchier, more lemony, with a touch of wax and those endlessly fascinating chalky or even limestone notes still very much in play. Even if this isn’t a malt of immense complexity. Finish: fairly long, on lemon, apples and beeswax. We shan’t bang on about champagne again, but still, I’m thinking of Boizel’s Brut Ultime or Drappier’s Clarevallis, both extra brut yet rather different. Comments: sorry for harping on about champagne instead of this truly lovely natural Longmorn. Entschuldigung.
SGP:561 - 89 points.

In short, none of them disappointed. Promise, we’ll do a big Longmorn session very soon.

Check the index of all Longmorn we've tasted so far

WF’s Little Duos, today middle-aged Longmorn OB vs IB