Langatun Old Deer Swiss Whisky Review

By Paer Johansson

Rating: B

Langatun Old Deer Swiss Malt
(Credit: Paer Johansson)

“Langatun;” what is that? Langatun is the Celtic version of “Langenthal” which in turn means “the fortified place on the Langa” (water). Langatun is also the name of a village outside of Bern in Switzerland containing a small malt whisky distillery. The distillery has a very interesting history as it dates back to 1857 when master brewer Jakob Baumberger founded a distillery on his father’s farm.

Jakob focused mostly on brewing however, and this focus continued until 1999, when Hans Baumberger III decided to pursue his great-grandfather’s initial vision and started to create hand-crafted ‘LANGATUN’ single malt whiskies.

In 2008 the first 3 years’ old Langatun “Olde Deer” Single Malt was introduced to the market and in 2011 the “Langatun Classics” range, incorporating the Old Deer, Old Bear and Gold Bee whiskies was launched.

Nowadays the distillery is owned by a small company; “High Spirits Holding AG”, but the traditional methods of whisky making and the ethos of Mr. Baumberger are still honoured and followed.

The Whisky
Old Deer is the distillery’s core expression, made from unpeated barley, fermented with an English stout yeast and triple distilled. The new-make is then matured for six years in a combination of Sherry and Chardonnay casks and bottled at 62.8% ABV.

The color is pale golden. The nose is wonderfully sweet made out of caramelized apples, plums and pineapple. There is also a faint background of nail polish and fresh car tires.

The initial taste is fruity and malty with taste of red apples, more plums and a bit of liquorice. This served on an oak base of sweet vanilla.

The finish is long, oily and peppery yet mild enough to savour for a long time. With a few drops of water the whisky opens up, becomes even more oily with the liquorice coming out stronger.

This is a good dram that has got the accolade of 95.5 points in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible and makes a great, unusual gift or a great talking point on any after-dinner meet-ups.

The Price
Old Deer isn’t exactly in wide distribution, but if you can find it expect to pay £70.