Longmorn 1969 / TWE 10th Anniversary / Refill Sherry Butt

Colour: dark amber.

Nose: classical big deep sherry at first nosing, with everything you’d expect from that style (prunes, coffee, chocolate, fruitcake et al) but also a blend of four ingredients that work fabulously well when combined: oranges, olive oil, honey and fresh mint. Try that at home, you’ll see what you’ll see. Goes on with more leather and heavy pipe tobacco (the thick, moist, black ones).

With water: gets rather decadent, with many ‘half-aromas’, meaning it’s very, very complex. Soot, orange liqueur (and many other liqueurs), various spices, apple peelings, tea, raspberries… And an avalanche of other aromas.

Mouth (neat): a tad fruitier than the 1968 (grapefruits, green apples, even litchis) but just as powerful and spicy. Much less ‘deep sherry’ than on the nose that is. Sultanas, cough syrup (eucalyptus getting more and more obvious).

With water: firm, fruity, slightly resinous, orangey, clearly ‘old Longmorn’ now, the sherry being a tad more reserved now.

Finish: long, firm, spicy, a tad oakier. Oranges and ginger tonic. Obvious oakiness in the aftertaste.

Comments: just great, only the finish starts to be a tad drying at such old age. SGP:551 - 92 points.