Cadenheads Longrow Tasting Notes

Cadenhead’s ‘The Tasting Room’ Specially Bottled Longrow 56%

Btl:  Mar 2017

Tasted: July 2021

The nose is quite herbal with an intense nose prickle. Fairly light in body with astringent peat, barley, white fruit and a touch of malt. With time it become quite fragrant and gains some weight, with late toasted almonds, earth, vanilla and lemon.

The palate is tight, earthy and herbal with gritty barley, peat and hints of apricot, malt and fish oils. There’s a touch of sweet, heathery peat and spice on the middle, but the finish is pretty masked.

Water brings out juicy orange and tangerine. It’s saltier but less herbal. The peat is dustier with subtler vanilla and a touch more oiliness. I guess it’s the emphasised oils that are making the nose less expressive. The palate is also less intense, softer and oilier. Again the peat is subtler and allows the malt and fish oils to come through. Very oily middle but it gives it a pleasant mouth-feel, but overall it’s a lot simpler. Long, remaining oily with a good salty twang in the finish.

Cadenhead’s ‘Bond Reserve’ Longrow 1996 (10 year old) 59.4%

Cream Sherry Butt

Dist: 1996 Btl: Nov 2006/ Tasted: Sept 2007

Nose = Sulphurous sherry cask. What more can you say!

Palate = Sulphur and sherry fruit. Distinctly unappealing.

Finish = Sulphur (surprise!!). Absolutely dreadful whoever bottled this cask should be ashamed!

Cadenheads ‘Wood Range – Port Cask’ Longrow 2007 (11 year old) 57.8%

Refill Port Casks

Dist: 2007 Btl: 2019/ Tasted: Aug 2020

The nose is quite subtle by Longrow standards with dusty peat and hints of sweet black fruit, creamy oak, stewed berry fruit, wood spice, salt and a touch of citrus.

The palate is full and smoky, but again quite restrained with only a subtle port influence. Malt, salt, barley and wood spice come through on the middle and it becomes increasingly mineral and citric. The peat also develops a sweeter edge. Slightly masked with marzipan, black cherry and herbal peat finish.

Cadenhead’s ‘Auhtentic Collection’ Longrow 1998 (13 year old) 55%

Bourbon Hogshead

Dist: 1998 Btl: Apr 2012/ Tasted: Jul 2012

The nose is Intense, pungent and fishy. Cod liver oil mixed with earthy peat and a touch of medicinal iodine. It could almost be an Islay, in fact it reminds of Bowmore in its fishy guise! Really complex with hints of kerosene, coal dust, brine and light apricot. Very pleasant, Water makes the aromas cleaner and less peaty but still fishy! Some juicy orange is now released.

The palate is dry and a touch on the alcoholic side. Earthy and smoky with plenty of peat, tar, light toffee and salt. A drop of water makes the palate fuller and fruitier by softening the alcohol. The peat is less intense but it’s still quite robust and mouth-filling. A reasonable length with a return of the medicinal notes and a dry, slightly bitter ending. Dilution lengthens and makes the finish a lot sweeter. It now shows a touch of parma violets and gentle smoke although the oak still bitters slightly.