Berry Bros & Rudd is one of the oldet wine merchants in the world, since it’s pushing alcohol to the Brits since 1698… Of course, in three centuries of business thay widened their offer and it’s since 1923 that they sell and bottle whisky. We’re having a 1988 Longmorn today (same vintage of the lovely Longmorn Silver Seal we’ve had some time ago, but younger), matured in an ex-bourbon cask and bottled back in 2006.
Berry Bros & Rudd è uno dei più antichi negozi di vini al mondo, dato che spaccia alcol agli inglesi e non solo dal 1698… Naturalmente, in tre secoli di storia hanno ampliato la loro offerta, e da buoni britannici è dal 1923 che trattano e imbottigliano whisky. Oggi assaggiamo un Longmorn del 1988 (stesso vintage dell’ottimo Longmorn Silver Seal assaggiato un po’ di tempo fa, ma più giovane), invecchiato in una botte ex-bourbon e imbottigliato nel 2006.
N: balsamic note (aniseed), and yet quite fruity and sugary (strawberries); milk. Caramelised pears, very intense – as it often happens with Speysiders, this fruitness goes along with a lovely malty note, delicious and crispy. Slight notes of orange peel. Spiced wood, nutmeg, vanilla.
P: a hint of… shaving foam, that not everyone will find pleasant – here they’re quite soft, we must say. The first mentholated note leaves room for a fresh and intense fruity bouquet (tinned peaches, pears, oranges, strawberries…). Malt again, giving it a biscuity note; cane sugar.
F: marzipan, malt; quite lingering. Chocolate-y, almost.
We must admit we were quite divided in the judgement; one of us couldn’t bear the soapy notes on the palate, while the other almost didn’t catch them. Our vote will be a perfect average of our two opinions: 86/100. It ain’t the most complex of all malts, but in the end it is as good as an honest Speysider of this age should be.
Recommended soundtrack: Erland & The Carnival – This night.
