“Go Your Own Way”
Whisky Review # 1091
Country: Scotland 🏴
Region: Speyside
Brand: Longmorn 2005
Bottled By: Gordon & MacPhail, Elgin - Distillery Labels Series - Bottled: 2020
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Age: 14-15 Years
Alcohol By Volume (ABV): 46%
Maturation: Mix of First-Fill Sherry Hogsheads and Refill Bourbon Barrels
Chill Filtration: No
Maturation: Mix of First-Fill Sherry Hogsheads and Refill Bourbon Barrels
Chill Filtration: No
Price Range: US$ 75-90 (April 2026)
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍
Price/Quality Ratio: 👍
Buying Advice: 👍 Longmorn almost always is a safe choice. Slightly Old Style!
Colour:
Golden - Natural Colour
Golden - Natural Colour
Nose:
Pleasantly Sweet and Waxy with a slight "Old Style" touch. The Alcohol is present so please avoid nosing in the middle of your glass. A bit of Sulfur/Burnt Matches but nothing substantial. The Sherry casks are noticeable but not overpowering creating a nice balance. Lots of Fruity and Nutty notes. It's got Character!
Pleasantly Sweet and Waxy with a slight "Old Style" touch. The Alcohol is present so please avoid nosing in the middle of your glass. A bit of Sulfur/Burnt Matches but nothing substantial. The Sherry casks are noticeable but not overpowering creating a nice balance. Lots of Fruity and Nutty notes. It's got Character!
Main Aromas:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Grass, Wax, Dough, Warm Apple Pie with Raisins, Walnuts, Nutella, Dusty Charred Oak, Lemon, Nectarine, Pepper, Aniseed and Cinnamon.
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Grass, Wax, Dough, Warm Apple Pie with Raisins, Walnuts, Nutella, Dusty Charred Oak, Lemon, Nectarine, Pepper, Aniseed and Cinnamon.
Supportive Aroma Accents:
Heather-Honey, Caramel, Orange-Flavored Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, Fruitcake, Beer, Nougat, Marzipan, Farmyard, Leather, Tobacco, Wet Stones, Nutmeg, Clove and Licorice. Something like Musty & Stale Dried Fruit as well.
Heather-Honey, Caramel, Orange-Flavored Dark Chocolate, Strawberry, Fruitcake, Beer, Nougat, Marzipan, Farmyard, Leather, Tobacco, Wet Stones, Nutmeg, Clove and Licorice. Something like Musty & Stale Dried Fruit as well.
Palate:
Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes. English Orange Marmalade springs to mind. It's not mind-blowingly complex but sufficiently interesting. And it clearly steers away from today's Mainstream Malt Madness. And that's a good thing!
Main Flavours:
Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Orange Marmalade, Sweet Fruit-Flavored Candy (Mandarin, Strawberry, Apple, Pineapple) Wax, Beer, Grapefruit, Caffe Latte, Wet Stones and Sand, Dusty Charred Oak, Pepper, Cinnamon, Licorice and Menthol.
Main Flavours:
Supportive Flavour Accents:
Heather-Honey, Toffee, Mixed Dried Fruits and Nuts, Leather, Tobacco, Nectarine, Nutmeg and Cloves.
Finish:
Middle-Long. Mostly Bitter-Sweet with a few Sour notes for company. Quite Dry. A quite clear Tutti Frutti Bubble Gum note right at the end. I also find Sweet Barley, Vanilla, Heather-Honey, Bitter Orange, Nectarine, Grapefruit, Mixed Nuts, Caffe Latte, Pear Obstler, Charred Oak, Herbal Tea, Tobacco, Pepper, Licorice, Nutmeg, Cloves, Menthol and a little Sulfur. Beer returns after a while.
Drinking Advice:
I added a bit of Water & that only benefits the Palate strangely enough. The Nose becomes very flat and the Finish a bit too Spicy. The Palate however softens up a bit. Try it out both ways but only add a little Water. Too much Water will kill this Longmorn.
Drinking Experience Neat:
I added a bit of Water & that only benefits the Palate strangely enough. The Nose becomes very flat and the Finish a bit too Spicy. The Palate however softens up a bit. Try it out both ways but only add a little Water. Too much Water will kill this Longmorn.
Rating: 7.5 (*******1/2)
Nose: 8 - Taste: 7.5 - Finish: 7.5
*** Important Note with respect to Rating.
If the Final score is above 8 you can safely buy the whisky in question if and when it fits your Aroma/Flavor profile. If the score is between 6 and 8 you might want to try it out in the form of a sample or if offered at a good price. Anything below 6 should be left alone when you are looking for a nice sipping whisky. You might still like it of course & I realize pricing is an important item for many whisky fans especially when you are used to enjoy whisky in a cocktail or a mixed drink.
Good
=
Conclusion:
The Longmorn Distillery is located in Longmorn, Morayshire and was founded in 1893 by John Duff, George Thomson & Charles Shirres. In 1897 John built the BenRiach Distillery quite close to Longmorn. Duff and Company went broke and ownership changed hands various times. In 1978 the distillery was bought by Chivas Brothers which in turn were acquired by Pernod-Ricard in 2011. Part of the production is used for blends like Chivas Regal, Something Special the new Queen Anne and Royal Salute. Efforts to launch Longmorn as a Single Malt have not been very successfull so far. The core range consists of the 18, 22 and 30 years. Good territory for Independent Bottlers!
The Longmorn Distillery is located in Longmorn, Morayshire and was founded in 1893 by John Duff, George Thomson & Charles Shirres. In 1897 John built the BenRiach Distillery quite close to Longmorn. Duff and Company went broke and ownership changed hands various times. In 1978 the distillery was bought by Chivas Brothers which in turn were acquired by Pernod-Ricard in 2011. Part of the production is used for blends like Chivas Regal, Something Special the new Queen Anne and Royal Salute. Efforts to launch Longmorn as a Single Malt have not been very successfull so far. The core range consists of the 18, 22 and 30 years. Good territory for Independent Bottlers!
Nowadays it's not easy to find an interesting 15 Year old Single Malt at US$ 80. And while this Longmore is not mind-blowing it's interesting enough, got character and a bit of an Old Style feeling to it. In other words it's worth the money. It's a pity that this distillery is still very focused on producing Spirit for Blends. Because in my opinion Longmorn checks all the boxes to become a successful Single Malt in its own right.
Cheers! 🥃
Jan van den Ende April 14, 2026
