A Balm for the Soul, this one is called. Let’s hope it lives up to that expectation, since that sure is promising! A second fill sherry butt is something different from all the Longmorns I’ve been tasting over the last couple of months, especially older ones usually come from first fill butts. But then again, there are quite a few second fills that are more active than their first fill counterparts.

Nose:
It starts off with the slight hint of cigars and pipe tobacco, nice with a combination of spices and herbs. Sawdust and nuts follow that up. Curry powder, tree bark and even a hint of salt, with something sweet and anise-like following that. The crust of sweet bread. Very spicy, but in a complex way, not in a hot way. Also a tad waxy after a bit.

Taste:
Sweet with some vanilla pods. Again loads of spices with nutmeg, cinnamon, the curry powder again. Fenugreek, caramel and a slight hint of tropical fruits. Apricot and dried peach, I think.

Finish:
The finish is smooth and complex, with many of the flavours returning that I found on the nose and palate. Quite a bit more wood than earlier too!

This is an absolutely stunning whisky. It reminds me of the Longmorn 1968 I tasted in January. This style of whisky is very appealing to me at the moment with not too much cask influence (not overpoweringly sherried) and very complex with heaps of flavours to be discovered.

I will try this one and the Glen Moray from the Bottle-Share again head to head to decide which one is my favorite. Can’t decide now!

Longmorn 21, SMWS, 7.65: ‘A Balm for the Soul’, Second Fill Sherry Butt, 55.2%