Longmorn – 1966/2021 55 Year Old Gordon & MacPhail Private Collection Cask #609 (70cl, 41.6%)

This is a 55-year-old Speyside single malt from Longmorn, bottled by Gordon & MacPhail for its Private Collection. It was distilled on 1 February 1966 and stayed in a first-fill sherry butt, cask 609, until 15 November 2021. The outturn was 319 bottles, at a cask strength of 41.6%. The long sherry maturation shows in berry fruit, dark chocolate and oak, with beeswax and lavender adding their own notes. The nose opens with rich sherry, then beeswax polish and cigar box, followed by ripe blackcurrant, lavender and oak. On the palate, red berries cooked down to a compote sit with dark chocolate and a touch of clove. The finish is long and creamy, with raspberry and autumn spices.