Switzerland is not the first country that springs to mind when one reaches for a single malt, and that is precisely what makes Langatun Old Crow such an interesting proposition. I have spent the better part of fifteen years tasting whiskies from every corner of the globe, and the Swiss contingent — small as it is — has been quietly making a case for itself. Langatun, based in the Emmental region of the Bernese Oberland, is among the most serious of these producers, and Old Crow is a bottle that deserves your attention.
At 46% ABV and non-chill filtered, this is a whisky bottled with intent. The decision to avoid chill filtration at this strength tells you something about the distillery's priorities: texture and integrity over cosmetic clarity. That is always a good sign. As a NAS release, Old Crow draws from a selection of casks rather than leaning on a single age statement, which in the hands of a competent blender can produce something more layered than a straightforward age-dated expression. The naming itself — Old Crow — nods to something darker and more characterful than the pastoral Swiss landscape might suggest, and the liquid follows suit.
What you can expect from a Swiss single malt at this strength is a spirit shaped as much by its alpine environment as by its cask selection. The continental climate — hot summers, bitter winters — drives a more aggressive maturation cycle than you would find in, say, a Scottish Highland warehouse. Wood influence develops faster, and the interplay between spirit and oak tends to be more pronounced in younger stocks. This is not a criticism; it is a stylistic reality, and one that Langatun appears to have learned to work with rather than against.
Tasting Notes
I will reserve detailed tasting notes for a future update once I have had the opportunity to assess this expression across several sessions. A whisky at this price point and pedigree deserves more than a single sitting.
The Verdict
At £72.25, Langatun Old Crow sits at a price that invites scrutiny. You are paying a premium over many competent Scottish single malts at similar or stated ages, and that is worth acknowledging. But you are also buying something genuinely different — a Swiss single malt with the confidence to bottle at natural strength without chill filtration, from a country whose whisky industry is barely two decades old. There is ambition in this bottle, and from what I have tasted, that ambition is backed by craft. I am giving Old Crow a 7.8 out of 10. It is a well-made, characterful spirit that rewards curiosity, and it stands as credible evidence that excellent single malt whisky does not require a Scottish postcode. For the adventurous drinker who has explored the classic regions and wants something with a different accent, this is a worthy addition to the shelf.
Best Served
Pour this one neat in a Glencairn and give it ten minutes to open. At 46%, it has enough weight to stand on its own without water, though a few drops will soften the oak influence and let the underlying cereal character come forward. If you are the type to reach for a Highball, I would not discourage it on a warm evening — the structure holds up well with good soda water and a twist of lemon peel — but the first pour should always be neat. You owe the glass that much.
