18/05/2021 Longmorn

Longmorn 20yo 1999/2019 (55.2%, OB The Distillery Reserve Collection, 2nd Fill Butt, C#10448, 732b, LKNN2778): nose: how interesting! It is fruity from the word 'go,' yet also flowery; mirabelle plums and plum compote, as well as forsythia, daffodil and elderflower. That is matched by strong elderberry wine. Behind that initial red/yellow assault, gentle wood rears its head, garden furniture, more than chests of drawers. Over time, the wine impression becomes stronger and stronger, headier and headier; overripe dark grapes, elderberry cordial, fermented dates and, lastly, even chocolate (liqueur pralines, really). A whisper of sawdust (from old, dry wood) makes its way in, as one tilts the glass. The second nose is winey to a point it feels meaty, with roast-beef in a sauce grand'veneur, served with lingonberry compote. With water, the berries and flowers turn into oilskins at first, then back to mirabelle plums, though more elegant than ever. The heady liqueurs end up peeking through, though, slightly less aggressively than before. There is a whiff of leather too, now. Mouth: oh! it is liqueur pralines alright. Edle Tropfen, cherry liqueur, brandy-macerated berries, booze-enhanced cranberry compote. It is also powerful to the point of being numbing, not unlike a horseradish sauce. The meaty side surfaces on the tongue too, with roast-beef again, supplemented by an unexpected portion of banane flambée, doused in honey mustard. Surprising. This sweet-yet-savoury, savoury-yet-sweet profile makes me think of Madeira wine more than Sherry, but what do I know? Even one drop of water changes this radically. The reduced mouth has juicy mirabelle plums, with little of the spicy, meaty notes from before. If anything, it makes it closer to white Port or Fino Sherry. Finish: odd. On the one hand, it has the lusciousness of a well-matured malt, on the other, it feels rough as a three-year-old. It has chocolate of the milk kind, fruit liqueur again, yet also green brambles and a less-than-optimal alcohol integration. Banane flambée makes a comeback, more sickly flambé rum than strictly banana, to be precise. There is a pouring of bitter coffee, black and lukewarm, as well as a rancio aftertaste that strips the teeth clean and coats the gums. And then, via retro-nasal olfaction, a sliced, fortified-wine-marinated celery stick appears. Water brings more chocolate and less distraction. Along with the chocolate, a nip of white Port or Fino Sherry again. Clearly, water makes this more simple, yet also more enjoyable, in my opinion. Not too taken by this one. 6/10 (Thanks for the sample, SA and JW)