Longmorn Distillery
There are single malt distilleries producing whiskies that, for the most part, end up in blends. Some of those distilleries produce whiskies that go unnoticed by most enthusiasts and connoisseurs. Some of them produce remarkable whiskies that capture the noses and palates of the public including connoisseurs.
Longmorn distillery is one great example. Its whiskies get top reviews and it even has an enthusiastic following. We have sourced a rare and limited
21 year old Longmorn and bottled it. The barrel yielded only 108 bottles. Members of
The Guild of Maltheads have tried it and loved it. So did whisky legend Charles Maclean. Want to find out more about
Longmorn distillery? Read on...
A brief history of Longmorn distillery.
Like many other distilleries built during the second half of the 19th century,
Longmorn was built to provide a reliable supply of malt whisky for blenders.
Longmorn wasn't the only distillery built between 1860 and 1898. The increased popularity of whisky inspired many entrepreneurs and investors to build more and more distilleries. The market became saturated by the end of the century and a massive crisis wiped hundreds of distilleries out of existence. The recovery would take decades and it was six years before the crisis hit when
Longmorn distillery was built in 1983. The distillery was built by the same person who built Glenlossie distillery in 1876. The founder of the distillery had itchy feet and traveled the world looking for fame and fortune. Things didn't turn out well for him. After unsuccessful attempts to set up distilleries in the US and South Africa, John Duff returned to his native Scotland where he decided to set up another distillery:
Longmorn. The location of the distillery was chosen because of its proximity to the railway network, peat bogs and barley fields. Some four years after the founding of the distillery John Duff bought out his partners, the future was promising it seemed. Another distillery was built by the ambitious entrepreneur, he called it Benriach and it was located right next to
Longmorn distillery. Unfortunately things didn't turn out well for him, he declared bankruptcy in 1897. Shares in his company were sold and
Longmorn distillery enjoyed a prosperous decades under its new ownership. The maltings at the distillery were still in use up until the 1970's. Around the same time Glenlivet, Glen Grant and
Longmorn distilleries merged and formed The Glenlivet Distillers Ltd. This group was alter acquired in 1978 by the Chivas Brothers Group. this latter group was acquired in 2001 by the current owners: The Pernod-Ricard Group. These days the core range consists of a non age statement expression, a 16 year old and a 23 year old.
Our bottling was drawn from a single cask after it spent 21 long years in a bourbon barrel. Charles Maclean described it a 'vivid, rich and complex'.
