They are:-
- Monbazillac Cask Finish
- Rioja Cask Matured
- Madeira Cask Finish
So, what did I think? Here are my tasting notes …
Tasting Notes – Langatun Monbazillac Cask Finish Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)
Monbazillac is a wine-growing region in the south-east of France, surrounding several communes around the village of Monbazillac of the same name.
This region is known for its intense and long-lived sweet wines, similar to Sauternes wines. Monbazillac is traditionally made from noble rot grapes of the Smillon, Sauvignon Blanc and Muscadelle varieties, which are harvested by hand.
The Monbazillac Cask Finish is a new bottling in their Cask Finish range. After pre-aging in a French oak Chardonnay cask, the single malt was transferred to a Monbazillac sweet wine cask from France for a further 14 months of maturation.
This whisky was distilled in October 2016 and bottled in January 2023.
The bottling is limited to 473 bottles.
£99.00 from Highfern
Nose: Sweet and fruity with syrupy prunes, port and treacle. Throw in some white wood with hints of cherries and that’s quite a nose! Palate: Intense sweetness with some citrus, caramel and porty toffee. Finish: Warm smooth spiciness, a little pepper which develops over time. At the end there’s sweet liquorice and salt. Overall: This dram develops in the glass really nicely. if you can resist the tempation, it’ll pay to take your time with it and savour the nose and then indulge yourself in the tasting! |
Tasting Notes – Langatun Rioja Cask Matured Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)
The new single cask bottling of Langatun seems at first glance to belong to the series of Langatun Cask Finishes. But on closer inspection, one realizes that this is not a finish, but a 100% cask maturation.
Thus, the Langatun Rioja Cask Matured follows the success of the Langatun “Quinta do Zambujeiro Cask Matured”. These ‘Matured’ bottlings are characterized by an outstanding aroma intensity and give the connoisseur the full dose of wine aromas paired with spicy hints of wood.
The Rioja is a full-blooded Tempranillo from Spain. The barrel itself is lightly toasted and is made of American and French oak.
Distillation date: April 2017
Bottling date: June 2023
The bottling is limited to 367 bottles.
£99.00 from Highfern
Nose: Rich, stewed fruits with apple, vanilla and cane sweetness. There’s also toffee and inviting creamy biscuit in there as well. Palate: Pastry rich apple pie which has been nicely sweetened with a dry woody counterpoint. Finish: The dryness continues with some punchy pepper and sweetened fruits to accompany it. Overall: A drier dram than the other two samples but nicely balanced with fruity sweetness. |
Tasting Notes – Langatun Madeira Cask Finish Swiss Single Malt Whisky (49.12%)
Madeira wine may only be produced on the island of Madeira, southwest of Portugal. Similar to port wine, the natural fermentation of Madeira is interrupted after a particular time so that the sugar contained in the must do not ferment completely.
This gives the wine a particularly intense sweetness. What is unusual about the maturation of Madeira is that the barrels used in the traditional process are stored for several months at high heat (up to 75 degrees F / 24C!)
The whisky was previously matured for several years in a Chardonnay cask and was finally matured for 18 months in a Madeira cask, which gives it its spicy character.
Distillation date: March 2016
Bottling date: August 2022
This bottling is limited to 525 bottles.
£99.00 from Highfern
Nose: Forest fruits, peach, apricot, creamy baked biscuits and sticky fruits – WoW! Palate: Rich, sweet, syrupy prunes with port wine, herbs and vanilla biscuit. Finish: Very smooth spiciness with a woody finish plus there’s a lovely fruity sweetness running through this tasty dram! Overall: An inviting mouthfeel to this dram with thick, syrupy fruits and top end spice that is very satisfying! |
Many thanks to highfern.com (@HighfernLtd) for sending me such gorgeous drams!
Langatun is available to buy from these Merchants:-
About Langatun Distillery
As a newly graduated master brewer, Jakob Baumberger founded a distillery on his fatherÕs farm in 1857. In 1860 he took over a small brewery in Langenthal (celtic: ÒLangatunÓ), which he subsequently expanded into a flourishing business alongside the distillery.
Later his descendants Hans Baumberger I and II continued the brewing and distilling tradition. In 2005 Hans Baumberger III took up the vision of his great-grandfather again with the production of the hand-made Langatun Single Malts and other distillates of highest quality in best family tradition.
About Highfern
Highfern Ltd is the proprietor of Angels’ Nectar Blended Malt and Single Malt Scotch Whisky, and the UK importer of Langatun Swiss Single Malt Whisky, Strane London Dry Gin, and Cihuatn Rum.