Longmorn 18 Year Old Single Malt Scotch Whisky 750ml

In 1920, ayoung Japanese chemist namedMasataka Taketsuru arrived inScotland to learn the craft of whiskymaking. He visited several of thegreat Speyside distilleries, and whenhe returned to Japan to found what would become the Nikka Whisky Distilling Company — the producer whose Yoichi and Miyagikyo distilleries now occupy the top tier of Japanese whisky — he modeled his stills after those he had studied at one distillery aboveall others: Longmorn. The founder ofJapanese whisky left Scotlandconvinced that Longmorn's stillsproduced the most compelling spirithe had encountered. He was not wrong,and the Japanese whisky thathis stills subsequentlyproduced has, in recent decades,become among the most acclaimedand the most collected in theworld.

Yet Longmorn itself has spentalmost all of its 130-yearhistory in the background — since1893 in Moray, at the heartof the Speyside region,producing a rich, full-bodied,deeply fruity malt whisky thathas served as one of the mostimportant backbone components ofChivas Regal blends forgenerations. Pernod Ricard ownsLongmorn today through ChivasBrothers, alongside The Glenlivet,Aberlour, and Strathisla —better-known names that have longovershadowed a distillery whosewhisky has been quietly shaping thecharacter of some of the world's mostwidely sold blended Scotch withoutreceiving credit in any bottle. Thatchanges with this release.

The 18 YearOld is Longmorn's most accessible andmost immediately impressive officialsingle malt expression — launched in2024 as an annual, single-batch releasespecifically intended for the USmarket, non-chill filtered, no addedcolor, cask strength at 57.6% ABV froma combination of American oak barrelsand hogsheads. Whisky Advocate awarded94 Points: "the younger of this year'stwo aged Longmorn releases — vanilla onthe nose, with citrus, ripe melon, agedoak, and old books for a subtle agedfragrance — the palate is honeyed andsoft with balanced spice, citrus, andstone fruits — the finish is long andspiced, serving up plenty of vanillasweetness, peach, apricot, and melon —thick, layered, and complex, with lotsof aged integration, but this whisky isstill in its prime." Drinkhacker ratedit A-, calling it "boldly flavorful"with caramel apples, papaya, pineapple,macadamia honey, tiramisu, and cocoa.Robb Report called Longmorn "a hiddengem from under-the-radar distilleries"and said the 18-year-old"is truly a fantastic whisky."

Thehidden gem that the father ofJapanese whisky chose as his model.Now, finally, in itsown bottle.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Longmorn Distillery was established in1893 by John Duff in the parish ofLongmorn in Moray, in the heart ofScotland's Speyside region — aposition that places it geographicallyand qualitatively at thecenter of the most concentrated clusterof single malt distilleries inthe world. The distillery wasacquired by The Glenlivet DistillersLtd. in 1970, passed to Chivas Brotherswhen they were acquired in 1978, andabsorbed into the Pernod Ricardportfolio when Pernod acquired ChivasBrothers in 2001. For virtually theentire subsequent period, Longmorn'sdistillate has served primarily as akey component in Chivas Regal blends —a role that has kept the distillery'sname largely invisible to consumerswhile its whisky has shaped some of theworld's most widely distributed blendedScotch.

The 18 Year Old is the firstmajor official standalone expressionLongmorn has launched for the US market— a genuinely exciting developmentbecause it draws on the distillery'sdeep reserves of well-aged stock thathas been building quietly in Speysidewarehouses while the blending teams atChivas took the best of what theyneeded. The whisky is matured for 18years in a combination of American oakbarrels and hogsheads — the two caskformats that deliver Longmorn's mostcharacteristic profile: toffee,vanilla, and creamy fruit richness fromthe bourbon-seasoned wood, with thehogshead's slightly larger formatadding a gentler, more integrated oakcharacter. No cask finishing, nogimmicks — just 18 years of patientSpeyside maturation, then single-batchbottling at natural cask strengthwithout chill filtration or addedcolor. Released annually, with eachbatch reflecting the specific characterof the casks selected for that year.

Critics Reviews

Whisky Advocate — 94 Points:
"Theyounger of this year's two agedLongmorn releases. Vanilla on the nose,with citrus, ripe melon, aged oak, andold books for a subtle aged fragrance.The palate is honeyed and soft withbalanced spice, citrus, and stonefruits. The finish is long and spiced,serving up plenty of vanilla sweetness,peach, apricot, and melon. Thick,layered, and complex, with lots of agedintegration, but this whisky is stillin its prime."

Drinkhacker — A- Rating:
"The nosekicks things off with caramel apples,light baking spice, ginger, cherrycough drop, and subtle notes of papaya.Cinnamon, allspice, and ginger floatfrom the tip of the tongue and thenback, with papaya and pineappledeveloping shortly after on themidpalate. The sweetness is reminiscent of macadamia honey — compounded by abuttery mouthfeel — and tiramisu, witha hint of cocoa throughout."

Paste Magazine (confirmed):
"On thenose, redolent in deep toffee sweetnessand baked apple fruitiness. Honeycombwith slightly toasty characteristicsand more than a hint of wood spice and licorice, supported by butterscotch. On the palate, rich toffee and spice,featuring heavily caramelized andslightly nutty sugars, vanilla,Christmas cookies and griddled apples.Boldly flavorful in general — a veryflavorful dram indeed."

Robb Report (confirmed):
"AddLongmorn to the list[of hidden gem distilleries], butthere's a good chance this might changewith the relaunch of a new 18-year-oldsingle malt that is truly a fantasticwhisky. No cask finishing or other whisky gimmicks were used, just the careful selection and blending of some of the distillery's best barrelsresulting in yet another bottle forscotch fans to hunt down."

Longmorn official tasting notes:
"Rich tasting notes of toffee apples,apricots and fresh tropical fruitbefore a subtly sweet finish of creamymilk chocolate. Hazelnut praline andluscious toffee with delicate citrusand poached pears for a sweet andsmooth finish."

Buy It Right Liquors (confirmed extended note):
"Toffee apples, softbutterscotch, and vanilla notes mingle with ripe melon, citrus oil, and thegentle grace of aged oak and old books.Rich and juicy — apricot, mango, stone fruit, and honeyed caramel are balancedwith elegant spice and orchard fruitintegrity."

Tasting Profile

Nose
Rich amber gold — the 18years in American oak barrels andhogsheads producing a color of genuinedepth and warmth. Deep toffee sweetnessand baked apple fruitiness open thenose with an immediately generous andwelcoming aromatic character. Vanillaand honeycomb arrive alongside citrusoil and ripe melon. Soft butterscotchand hazelnut praline add the mostclassically and the most specificallySpeyside-character aromatic qualities.Aged oak and old books add a subtle,contemplative secondary fragrance thatsignals the 18 years of patientmaturation behind the fruit. A hint ofwood spice and licorice threads throughthe background.

Palate
Honeyed andsoft, with balanced spice, citrus, andstone fruits building progressivelyfrom the first sip. At 57.6% caskstrength, the entry is surprisinglycomposed — the Drinkhacker reviewernoted that the balance between flavorand ethanol is "lovely" for a singlemalt at this proof. Cinnamon, allspice,and ginger emerge from the tip of thetongue and build through themid-palate. Papaya and pineappledevelop alongside apricot and mango.The sweetness is reminiscent ofmacadamia honey — compounded by abuttery mouthfeel. Tiramisu and a hintof cocoa add dessert-like secondaryrichness. Caramelized and slightlynutty sugars, vanilla, Christmascookies, and griddled apples round outa palate of considerable andspecifically Speyside-charactercomplexity.

Finish
Long andspiced, with plenty of vanillasweetness, peach, apricot, and meloncarrying the close. Milk chocolate andhazelnut praline linger alongsidecreamy toffee. The cask strengthalcohol finally makes itself known atthe finish — warmingly so, neverharshly. Thick, layered, and complexthroughout — a whisky, as WhiskyAdvocate specifically and mostaccurately observed, that is still inits prime.

Quick Overview

Food Pairings

• Apple tart andautumnal fruit desserts — the toffee apple and baked fruit character findingits most natural culinary mirror
• Darkchocolate and milk chocolate truffles
• Hazelnut praline and nut-basedconfections
• Aged cheddar and hardcheeses
• Crème brûlée — the caramelized sugar and vanilla notesaligned