Longmorn 16 Year Old paired with Rocky Patel 50 Cigar and Chuao's Melao Bonbon

In the midst of all the whisky world's hype and hyperbole, sometimes you just want to escape back into the tried and true palate of a bourbon matured scotch.  You know, that longing to sip something that brings back the nostalgia of your Father's liquor cabinet of a simpler time.  This month we decided to do just that with a single malt that is quite underexposed, yet has proven to be a most enduring spirit.

Longmorn is one of those whiskies with a surprisingly low profile for the quality of its scotch.  A hidden jewel in the portfolio of Pernod Richard, it is easily overshadowed in the marketplace by the more famous Chivas Regal and The Glenlivet brands.  Little known, but a real Speyside stalwart, Longmorn has long been favored by blenders, coveted by independent bottlers and sought after by loyal enthusiasts.  It is one of the few distilleries that has never ceased a day of production since it origins of 1894.

Unfortunately its founder, John Duff never benefitted from its success.  Determined and talented, Duff served as manager of Glendronach before starting his first distillery Glenlossie, nearly two decades prior to the opening of Longmorn.  This pioneering entrepreneur was also involved in two failed attempts to open distilleries in South Africa and the United States, before returning to Scotland and Longmorn. Three years later he opened another new distillery, BenRiach, right next door.  With all his personal capital tied up in buildings, whisky and other related investments, Duff's businesses were hard hit when one of his biggest purchasers went bankrupt.  Highly invested but cash poor, he was forced to cede control of the Longmorn distillery.  By 1909 he had declared personal bankruptcy.  Fortunately, Duff's demise did not impact Longmorn, which continued to thrive under the stewardship of each new owner.  It still flourishes after 117 years.

Longmorn 16 year old expression created quite a stir in 2008 when it replaced the long beloved 15 year old "house standard".  In our opinion, subsequent bottlings of the 16 year old have improved and are best appreciated on their own merits, of which in our opinion there are many.  Your nose is greeted with the scent of freshly mown grass, mixed with typical Speyside fruity esthers, dried sweet flowers and subtle spice. On the palate it is creamy, tongue coating and warming.  It has a rather elegant smoothness and uncharacteristic fullness of flavor for such a lightly peated malt.  Subtle yet intricate layers reveal an early maltiness, along with honey, fruits, delicate vanilla, oak and spices.  Yet it was the underlying bourbon cask affected caramel notes that caught our attention.  The finish is long with plum and dark cherry jam giving way to a developing citrus zestiness.  This tailors off to a subtle cedar wood and light oak tail.

While many of the Chuao bonbons were compatible with this multi-layered Speyside exemplar, it was the Melao bonbon that provided the most interesting pairing.  The sensual oozy filing of this confection is a perfect complement to the creamy, slightly oily mouth feel of the Longmorn spirit.  Add to that, the saltiness of the caramel filling and you have an almost savory dimension to this flavor pairing.  Melao also accentuates the lovely butterscotch notes of this dram which are too fleeting without this gooey, tasty reminder that they are there.      (Click on picture to purchase) 

Rocky Patel is in full stride with the release of several new cigars at the industry show this year, and is developing more premium cigar lines than ever before. He also turned 50 this year, so in honor of his birthday, this October he is releasing a cigar named The Fifty. This ultra-premium cigar is the culmination of fours years of blending research, and is being produced in a limited run of 2,000 boxes of each of three vitolas at his new factory in Esteli, Nicaragua.

While Rocky is keeping the binder and filler blend a secret, the cigar features an Ecuadorian Habano Oscuro wrapper hand selected from the seventh priming (or row of leaves) of the tobacco plant. This location near the top of the tobacco plant receives more sunlight, the leaves are fewer and smaller than lower leaves, and since they are picked later in the harvest, the leaves also receive more nutrients. Typically this section of the plant is known as ligero, and is used in filler to slow the burn rate and to achieve strong, complex flavors. Using the seventh priming for wrappers must take special care to ensure that the correct balance of flavor and strength are achieved. The fact that Rocky has chosen this wrapper for his "birthday" cigar, means they have discovered something really special here with this tobacco. (Click the picture to purchase)

Befitting an ultra-premium cigar, the Fifty is very elegant, box pressed and well constructed. Visually, the orange, silver and gold double band is striking and contrasts beautifully with the wrapper. Aromas of earth and spice exude from the dark, smooth and oily Habano wrapper.

From start to finish this cigar delivers flavor, you will not want to put this down.  Initially the Fifty produces flavors of dark espresso, earthy chocolate and a pepperiness similar to curry and chili peppers. As the pepper mellows out mid-cigar, several other flavors come to the forefront. Notes of cedar, oak and nuts flavor the creamy smoke throughout the middle third. Near the end, the spice and chocolate notes combine with a citrus flavor to produce an unusual chocolate-orange flavor. As the cigar winds down, the finish seems to lengthen producing an almost minty spice.

It is those flavor transitions and combinations that make the pairing with the Longmorn simply incredible. Both cigar and malt are elegant on their own, together the combination is superb.  The layering of fruit, vanilla and spice from the whisky, over the top of the chocolate and pepper creates multiple waves of sweetness that change in depth and character. Spice notes in the Longmorn become more pronounced and complex with the chili/curry note added by the cigar. The creamy smoke serves to soften the long finish of the malt, and there are common cedar and oak notes that pair up nicely. Once the cigar hits the end stage, the chocolate orange flavor really becomes divine.

The Rocky Patel Fifty is a limited release and will be in many Top 10 Lists this year. It is sure to become popular once word gets out, so don't miss your chance to enjoy this combination before it is gone.

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