Longmorn, a distillery known for its sweet and deeply fruity character, has been an integral component in many blends since its establishment. The production process at Longmorn is marked by long fermentation periods and distillation in eight thick-necked stills. This approach creates a whisky that is sufficiently weighty to age well in both ex-Sherry and ex-Bourbon casks. Although Longmorn’s primary output has traditionally been destined for blends, it became available as a single malt with the release of a 15-year-old in 1993, which featured a label depicting the distillery in a rugged mountainous landscape, despite its location on the flatlands near Elgin.
The 15-year-old was replaced by a 16-year-old in 2007, but the majority of Longmorn’s production continues to be allocated for blending purposes. However, it has also been featured in Chivas Brothers’ Cask Strength series as a single-cask offering. Longmorn is regularly bottled by independent bottlers, and its reputation has gained it a dedicated following, particularly in Japan.
The distillery was founded in 1893 by John Duff, a notable figure in 19th-century whisky history. Duff had a diverse career, including designing Glenlossie in 1876 and attempting to start a whisky industry in South Africa, as well as working in the US before returning to Scotland. He built Longmorn in 1893 and followed it with the creation of Benriach in 1898. However, in 1899, Duff was forced to sell both distilleries to James Grant due to financial difficulties. Despite this, Longmorn’s whisky gained recognition, becoming a key component in popular blends such as VAT 69 and Dewar’s.
One of the most significant moments in Longmorn’s history occurred in 1920 when Masataka Taketsuru, one of the founding fathers of Japanese whisky and the founder of Nikka, briefly worked at the distillery. The stills at Nikka’s two distilleries are believed to have been modeled after Longmorn’s, which further cemented its influence in the whisky world.
In 1970, Longmorn merged with the Glenlivet and Glen Grant distilleries to form The Glenlivet Distilleries Ltd, which was subsequently purchased by Seagram in 1977. Today, Longmorn is part of Chivas Brothers, a subsidiary of Pernod Ricard.
