Longrow CV 46%
Tasted June 2008
The CV stands for Curriculum Vitae for some reason! The story with this new bottling is that while Frank McHardy and Stuart Robertson were working on the Longrow Gaja, they noticed that the younger Longrow casks were displaying lots more peat/smoke than they were getting from the 10 year old. They wanted the opportunity to play around with vatting young longrow with older stuff to maximise these flavours and this is the end result. Thus it follows a path similar to things like the Bruichladdich 3D3 and the Isle of Jura Superstition.
The aromas begin with a sooty, earthy peat note, which to me is classic Longrow. Its quite phenolic and briny. It’s the peatiest Longrow I’ve come across, however in saying that it is definitely not monstrous. There is a definite, rounded, mature toffee, butter and marzipan core over which the crisp, youthful apricot, orange and barley sore. This is exquisitely balanced. The palate follows the nose in opening with the sooty, earthy peat followed by sweet barley, malt and mellow, mature fruit, brine and spice. It builds into a lovely smoky middle and finishes with a tangy/ fresh coastal finish – pure sea salt and a late peppery bite.
I was thinking that they should do the same with Springbank as the current 10 year old is quite disappointing and as we know it doesn’t really start to become anything like a classic until the spirit is into its teens. However I doubt that it will happen due to the fact that more money can be made from bottling older sprirt on its own.
Longrow CV 46%
Re-Tasted Dec 2011
The nose opens with sweet heather and dusty peat along with hints of burnt wood, decomposing vegetation and manure. Yeah, that’s good! Bracingly coastal with a seriously chlorinated, fishy hit. However all that is balanced superbly by the barley sweetness. By far and away the most successful of the CV bottlings.
The most noticeable thing about this spirit in the mouth is the enormity of the weight. Full and malty and seriously chewy, just like chowing down on burnt coastal wood splinters, liberally sprinkled with pepper and dry, dusty, violety tinged peat. Short, sharp and very, very intense. After chewing on wood the mouth dries up under the coastal onslaught. Ok it can be argued that it is a bit one-dimensional, but it delivers that one dimension so well.
Longrow CV 46%
Code: 10/503
Btl: 2010
Tasted: Feb 2023
The nose is quite violet and earthy with gritty but subtly mature oak, fish oils, baked apple, sawdusty oak, brine, coffee and robust spirit notes. There definitely feels like there is more older spirit at work here than I remember.
The palate is wonderfully mellow and opens with the mature spirit, dusty oak and peat. Slightly salty and fishy middle with hints of coffee, earth, tar and citrus. Good length if a slightly austere and salty finish as the younger spirit holds out. Lovely tongue tingling earthy spice aftertaste.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Tasted: Jan 2013
The nose is soft and fruity. A cornucopia of orange, lime, pineapple and apricot liberally sprinkled with coastal notes and light spice. A lovely depth with some lightly creamy oak and late notes of fish and briny-peat.
Soft and broad on the palate with the creamy oak making quite a statement of intent. Lightly fruity with hints of earthy-peat and building brine. Very long the fruit eventually evading the oaky grip.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Re-Tasted: Jan 2013
A lovely nose of soft, sooty peat with hints of earth, violets and a touch of brine. Lovely depth with some pleasantly sugared fruit and a touch of fishiness.
The palate opens with some slightly sweet barley and gentle peat dust. Good intensity and depth with a touch of brine, violets and soft spices. An excellent finish. Very back end loaded with the peat becoming increasingly oily in character with hints of tar and that peat lingering.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Re-Tasted: Jan 2014
A beautiful nose of dusty American oak, sweet barley and buoyant sub-tropical pineapple, banana and lashing of sweet spice. Slightly salty and fishy with a whiff of dry peat and the barley taking on a lovely castor sugar coating.
The palate is full and gently peated, opening with the sugar coated barley and fleshy apricot, apple and banana. The brine comes through on the middle bringing some delightful grainy spices notes too. Good, oily finish with the peat sweetening and a touch of violets evident. Lovely lingering saltiness.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Code: 14/355
Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Jan 2015
Astringent, fishy, earthy and peaty aromas with that distinctive Springbank woody/ gritty character. Hints of violets and coffee comes through. It feels a lot younger than the last time I tasted it.
Intense and oily on the palate with gritty oak, violets and dusty, earthy but sweet peat. Extremely salty on the middle and a little bittering from the oak but the sweetness of the malt counters. The saltiness lingers right through to the end. Superb finish.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Code: 17/ 144
Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017
The nose is quite coastal and briny with a lovely combination of medicinal and dusty peat. Heavily oiled apricot and pineapple follow, along with hints of violets, smoke, malt and sweet barley. The spirit feels older than previous bottlings.
The palate is subtler on the peat front, but still quite malty, fishy and full. Hints of coffee, tar and salt. It becomes spicy and almost treacly rich on the middle. The peat really hits home on the finish but a lovely barley sweetness sits beneath. Lingering malt and salt.
Longrow No Age Statement 46%
Code: 21/04
Btl: Jan 2021/ Tasted: Mar 2021
A briny and earthy nose with phenolic peat and hints of barley, fish oils, coffee and plenty of salt. Not as oily and medicinal as the last time I tasted it but fresher and a little younger feeling (noticeable cereal). Still, there is a touch of apricot, tar and wood tannin.
Initially the palate feels quite light in body, Briny and fishy with earthy and manurey peat. Lovely, intense, salty middle with a touch of sweet barley coming through. It also fills out a bit on the middle and feels weightier. Long, earthy peat and salt finish, Light violet note in the after-taste.
Longrow 7 year old ‘Gaia Barolo Expression’ 55.5%
5 ½ years in Refill Bourbon/ 11/2 years in fresh Barolo cask
Dist: Oct 2000 Btl: Jan 2008
Tasted: Nov 2008
An intense, wine infused nose collides with rubbery peat and sweet, ripe, dried fruit, coffee, cocoa. The big, grapey nuances float amidst the smoky sweet peaty morass. It has an almost sherry tinged sweetness along with the classic earthy-Longrow earthiness. I can only describe the palate as Amarone meets whisky in a head on collision. It’s intense and taste bud pummelling with sweet, dried fruits, smoky earthy-peat and a sharp graininess. Intense is not the word. It finishes with a smoky/ winey bbq like after taste.
Water emphasises the sweetness of the fruit and peat. Bringing out notes of dunnage floors, slightly medicinal peat, rubber, fish and salt. On the palate the water makes the wineyness less intense and now adds a beguiling sweetness to the full on peatiness. It also emphasises the natural oils amid the layers of sweet, woody fruit and earthy-peat. The finish is chewy with lip smacking dried fruits and leaves a gentle, lingering peat note on the tongue. Your taste buds will not know what has hit them!
Longrow 8 year old ‘Springbank Society Bottling’ 59.9%
Refill Sherry Butt
Dist: Feb 1997 Btl: July 2005
Tasted: Dec 2005
A pungent nose of earthy peat smoke and orange fruit. Quite wheaty with sweet sherry fruit.
Fresh and crisp on the palate with dry almost delicate peat and plenty of wood tannins. The smoke and peat builds to a mouth watering crescendo. Good length with the sherried, earthy fruit coming to the fore once the alcohol has passed. Good length.
Longrow 10 year old 46%
Tasted: 2004
A pungent nose of peat smoke and subtle tar notes.
The palate is dominated by its peaty character yet has a delicate vanilla sweetness with an intense peaty, smoky finish.
Longrow ‘Virtual Open Day 2020’ 10 year old 53.7%
2 x 13 year old ex Pinot Noir Casks and 2 x 10 year old Refill Malbec Casks
Btl: Oct 2020/ Tasted: Nov 2020
A meaty and robust nose with edgy/ herbal black fruit, gritty peat and hints of redcurrant/ cherry. It’s a little rough and untamed with some subtle syrupy sweetness to balance.
The palate is tannic and slightly butyric with meaty malt, black/ redcurrant and plenty of herbal wood notes. Again a little raw, astringent and somewhat brutal with a very salty finish and lingering sweet winey fruit and tar.
Longrow ‘Rundlets & Kilderkins’ 11 year old 51.7%
Dist: Nov 2001 Btl: Jan 2013
Tasted: May 2013
What a nose! Pungent and earthy with plenty of fishy, briny-peat. Even though it has been aged in very small (50 and 80 litre) sherry casks the earthy, sherry richness is kept firmly in check by its salinity. Very complex with hints of crystallised orange marmalade, bog myrtle, manure and peat smoke.
The palate is surprisingly gentle. Chocolaty sherry notes mingle with earthy manure-peat, fish and brine. The tannins and alcohol build towards the middle but the sheer weight of dried fruit keeps the alcohol in its place. The tannins morph into a lovely dusty, cocoa powder character and a lovely burst of salinity, freshens and cleanses the palate leaving a beautiful sherrywoood fade with hints of violets within the all encompassing chocolaty richness. Another stunning bottling from Springbank.
Longrow 2007 (11 year old) ‘ Springbank Society Bottling’ 56.9%
Refill Recharred Sherry Butt
Dist: Nov 2007 Btl: Mar 2019/ Tasted: Aug 2019
An intensely fishy, oily, briny and earthy nose with astringent coastal peat, lemon, apricot, dark honey, chocolate, medicinal herbs and subtle dried sherry fruit. There’s quite an alcohol prickle as well.
The palate opens with more of the sherried dried fruit and earthy peat. Still very fishy and briny with oily barley and hints of treacle, chocolate and earthy spice. Long and mouth-watering. Spicy, sherried, peaty and chocolaty finish with a light tannin.
Water makes the nose even lighter on the sherry and oilier whilst bringing out a fragrant barley note along with honeysuckle, violets. The palate is like the nose, lighter on the sherry and showing more earth, peat, fish oils and violets. There is more barley on the finish with lingering fish oils, lightly medicinal herbs and coffee. Very more-ish!
Longrow Red 11 year old 51.8%
Fresh Port Cask
Btl: 2014/ Tasted: Dec 2014
The nose is earthy and dusty red winey currant/cherry. Lightly butyric with plenty of intense woody, coffee’d tannins. A touch of fishy peat appears along with coastal notes. Water emphasises the maderised dried fruit and coffee
The palate is soft and again slightly butyric with red winey cherry, and menthol notes. Coffee’d tannins come through on the middle along with the peat and a slight sulphur blemish. Dilution makes it sweeter with more emphasis on the red fruit, but it also emphasises the metallic blemish. Long and butyric with hints of marzipan.
Longrow Red 11 year old 55.9%
9 years in Bourbon, 2 years in Cabernet Franc casks
Btl: 2017/ Tasted: Mar 2017
The nose opens with a light herbal winey note and some soft, buttery Bourbon. The peat is relatively subtle and gives it a surprising delicacy, for Longrow. Hints of earth, fish oils and warming, peppery spice with time.
Gentle Bourbon oak to begin with, followed by earthy peat and earthy red fruit. Light but grippy tannins on the middle with hints of pepper and fish oils. The juicy, winey fruit develops pleasantly and lingers throughout the finish, which balances the dryness from the tannins and alcohol. Lightly medicinal after-taste.
Water makes the wine notes even subtler. The palate is oilier with a greater emphasis on the fishiness and like the nose less wine and tannins. Lovely violety and earthy peat finish now.
Longrow Red 11 year old 55.9%
9 years in Bourbon, 2 years in Cabernet Franc casks
Btl: 2017/ Re- Tasted: July 2021
An intense, salty and tarry nose of dark malt, liquorice, dark peat and winey black fruit. Smoky, herbal and astringent with mentholated herbs, manure. Subtle barley, vanilla and a touch of fish oils beneath. Overall it has a lovely, warming fruitiness.
A soft but gritty palate. Herbal astringent peat, tar, liquorice and malt. Dark winey black fruit with a touch of syrup. Gritty tannins build on the middle aided by the alcohol along with fishy notes. Slightly masked finish with drying, herbal, savoury peat, black fruit, tobacco leaf and syrup.
Water gives the black fruit a sweeter feel and emphasises the syrup. Smokier but less peaty with a touch more vanilla and spice. The palate mirrors the nose, with sweeter winey fruit and smoke. Again subtler peat but still very astringent and salty at the edges. Spicier middle with a touch of fish oils and vanilla. Long, oily with plenty of savoury, gritty tannins and peat. There’s less fruit and syrup on the finish now and more spirit character.
Longrow Red 11 year old 53.1%
8 years in Bourbon, 3 years in refill Pinot Noir casks
Btl: Jan 2019/ Tasted: Mar 2019
The nose is tight and a little closed with almost porty red fruit and a touch of sulphur. Subtly peated with hints of tannin, syrup, cherry, marzipan and fish oils. The winey notes really come through with time.
The palate is soft with syrupy red fruits, liquorice and hints of tar, gritty tannins and subtle peat. Quite lightly peated by Longrow standards with almond, coffee and a serious dollop of juicy, winey red fruit coming through on the middle along with a suggestion of struck match. Long, juicy and syrupy with lingering sweet cherry, soot, tar and earth. Overall it’s pretty restrained and not as wild and woolly as some finished Longrow’s.
Water brings of the winey red fruit and American oak on the nose. The peat has practically disappeared. There’s more sweet vanillins and barley on the palate and although the winey red fruit is still there, the balance is better. Like the nose the peat seems to have gone awol. Long and slightly tannic but the syrup and red fruit counters. Dried porty red fruit after-taste.
Longrow Red 11 year old 57.5%
7 years Bourbon, 4 years Tawny Port
Btl: 2022/ Tasted: Feb 2023
The nose is dep and very porty with plenty of black/ red fruit and subtle, astringent peat. With time there are some coffee, mocha and fish oil notes but the Port is quite blanketing.
The palate is very much like the nose, heavily Port influenced with black/ red fruit, subtle, astringent peat, salt and green pepper. Masked but fishy finish with lingering drying tannins and salt.
Diluted the nose is a tad muted. More herbal and chocolaty, but still very port influenced. The palate is much the same. Definitely not as complex now with a greater sweetness to the fruit. Good length, astringent and salty finish.
Longrow Red 12 year old (2015 Release) 52.9%
10 yeasr Bourbon/ 12 months finishing in New Zealand ex-Pinot Noir casks
Btl: Aug 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015
Aromas of woody, earthy peat, manure and fish with chunky, winey red fruit and yet more manure! Some classic gritty but soft tannins can be detected along with hints of parma violets, sweet peat and raisins. A lovely, natural nose!
The palate is quite woody and tannic, opening with redcurrant/ cherry fruit. Lightly salted with hints of parma violets, fish oils, dry, dusty peat, soil and earth. Seriously intense, mouth-watering and tannic but the juicy red fruits counter. What a rush the finish is! A vibrant cacophony of coffee’d tannins, parma violets and primal peat. Breath-taking stuff!
With water the nose becomes sweeter with more of the Pinot fruits showing. Less tannic but still wonderfully rustic. The palate is very much the same, still quite tannic but the sweet fruit just about balances it. Very fishy after-taste now.
Longrow Red 12 year old (2015 Release) 52.9%
10 yeasr Bourbon/ 12 months finishing in New Zealand ex-Pinot Noir casks
Btl: Aug 2015/ Re-Tasted: Jan 2016
Intense and complex aromas of manure, tarry peat and smoky, red wine notes. Hints of nuts, marzipan, coffee, salt and wood tannins follow. Great nose!
The palate is a little sweeter as the red fruits show first, followed by the peat, tar and coastal notes. Manurey and elemental with hints of wood spice, violets and tannins on the middle. Very long and continuing manure with lingering sweet red fruit and violets.
Longrow 1996 (12 year old) ‘Springbank Society Bottling’ 57.6%
Fino Sherry Butt
Dist: Jun 1996 Btl: Apr 2009/ Tasted: Dec 2009
According to the label this has been matured in ex-Fino casks but the colour is way too dark for that to be true.
Well, one sniff and it screams Oloroso sherry. Big, leafy, faintly medicinal with a slight sulphur blemish. The alcohol makes it prickly, and some late liquorice and an astringent briny note appears. The palate follows the same pattern – Oloroso sherry, followed by a big hole due to the intrusive alcohol and finishing with liquorice, spice, a touch of peat and a distinct plastic note.
Water doesn’t help much. It makes the nose even leafier, but the palate falls over into a sulphurous, watery mess! I think the chairman of the committee needs sacking for choosing this one!
Longrow Red 13 year old 51.6%
10 years Bourbon and Sherry/ 3 years finishing in ex-Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Intriga Estate.
Tasted: Feb 2020
The nose is quite subtle by Longrow standards. Black pepper, menthol and chunky red fruit appear along with manurey peat and fish oils. It takes quite awhile to open up. Late creamy vanilla, earth and toasty oak.
The palate opens with dusty peat and sweet red fruit. Again its quite subtle but the tannins build. Slightly gritty middle with fish oils, earth and menthol. Long and fishy with lingering earthy peat and pepper. In conclusion: It’s actually quite elegant for a Longrow red bottling!
Longrow Red 13 year old 51.6%
10 years Bourbon and Sherry/ 3 years finishing in ex-Chilean Cabernet Sauvignon casks from Intriga Estate.
Re- Tasted: July 2021
A tight, herbal, cedary Cabernet fruit nose with earth, astringent peat and buckets of herbal notes. Almost green, stalky and mentholated. There’s a touch of vanilla and fish oils but the finishing cask is very dominant. Late toasty oak and marzipan.
Soft and herbal on the palate. Like the nose there is plenty of cedary Cabernet fruit mixed with astringent, salty, herbal and mentholated notes. Hints of tar, rubber and red fruit jelly with building saltiness on the middle. Smoky, tarry and fishy finish, slightly masked with gritty peat and tannin after-taste.
Dilutes it shows softer black fruit, but its still quite herbal. Less astringent and smoky. The finish cask still dominates. The palate is a little sweeter and syrupier with subtler salt and herbal notes. Quite juicy with suppler tannins and a touch of coffee. Longer, softer, less tarry and a little spicier.
Longrow Red 13 year old 51.6%
Re-Tasted: Aug 2020
A pungent, yet subtle-ish and earthy nose of red berries, tar, medicinal peat and marzipan. Hints of malt, barley and manure appear but the peat and wine cask is the main focus of attention. With time tobacco smoke and black fruit.
The palate is a little lighter but still quite woody, dusty and tannic with subtle red fruit, coffee, malt, herbal peat and mocha. The wood notes build on the middle. The finish is a little masked but the sweet and juicy fruit balances. Slightly earthier peat and spice on the finish. Very clean and focused.
Longrow Red 13 year old 51.3%
12 year in ex-Bourbon, 15 months finishing in ex-Malbec casks
Dist: Sept 2003 Btl: Apr 2017/ Tasted: May 2017
Primal, manurey and stinky with plenty of peat, chunky malt and a touch of black fruit and straw. The peat has a lovely complexity of character. Tarry peat mingles with spicy peat, chocolaty peat and slightly medicinal peat. With time the American oak comes through along with some warming spice notes.
The palate opens with the black/ red fruit, straw, and treacle. Slowly the oozing, primal, tarry peat appears along with some medicinal herbal notes and salt. Very astringent middle and a long, salt encrusted finish with gritty peat dust, cocoa, violets and medicinal notes. And, more salt for good measure!
Longrow 14 year old 46%
Tasted: Nov 2005
Clean, maturing nose with a youthful edge. Intense earthy/ medicinal, clean peat, waxy citrus fruits, shortbread/ pastry/ dough and a minty, fresh note.
Dry, medium bodied, intense earthy/ loamy-peat, citrus fruit and loads of ginger and spicy chilli on the middle. Very long and complex with the different flavours wafting in on the finish – charcoal, smoke, mint, toffee and a slight saltiness. Superb dry/ sweet balance. Sublime.
Longrow 14 year old 46%
Code: 12/31
Btl: 2012/ Tasted: Feb 2014
A lovely, clean and full nose of soft barley, citrus, salt and earthy peat. Slightly medicinal with hints of tar, sweet/ dusty violets and oak. With time it becomes very briny and lightly phenolic.
The palate is quite full, opening with the juicy barley, citrus, apricot and light honey. Very intense middle with the brine and earthy peat building. Buckets of sweet/ dusty parma violets follow. Very long with a gentle medicinal and briny fade. Beautifully balanced with a lingering sweet barley after-taste.
Longrow Limited Edition 14 year old Sherry Cask Matured 57.8%
Refill Oloroso cask/ Btl Code: 18/305
Dist: Sept 2003 Btl: Jul 2018/ Tasted: Oct 2018
A lovely intensely smoky and gritty nose with coffee and plenty of sherry dried fruit. Hints of earth, tar, liquorice, violets, sweet sun dried raisin and prunes, salt and fish.
The palate is rich, sherried and coffee’d with gritty wood spice, earthy peat, tar, liquorice, treacle and raisinated fruit. The finish is quite masked but there’s still plenty of juicy raisinated fruit, fish and peat on the finish.
Water softens the nose and emphasises the malt, coffee, treacle and brings out just a touch of sulphur. On the palate the sherry is less intense and there is more of the earthy, violety peat on show. A touch of sweet barley can be discerned but no sulphur, thankfully! Very earthy and coffee’d finish.
Longrow 1997 (14 year old) ‘Burgundy Wood’ 56.1%
Aged 11 years in re fill Bourbon and 3 years in fresh Burgundy casks
Dist: Feb 1997 Btl: Oct 2011/ Tasted: Dec 2011
A hugely coastal infused grapey nose. Slightly straw dried yet perfumed red berry aromas mingle with the earthy, slightly vegetal peat. The middle opens to display clove studded orange, rich, slightly singed toffee, camphor along with medicinal and cough sweet hints. Very deep and dense and as is often the case with wine finished longrow’s there is a touch of butyric, but to me it just adds to the madness and complexity!
Very intense and alcoholic on the palate. The palate opens with some serious wood notes – coffee, treacle, bitter, dark chocolate and dry tannins followed by some luscious ripe red fruit, spice, vegetal peat and just like the nose a slight butyric note. Quite oily and spicy with an eye watering hit of alcohol on the middle. Very long with sweet, but dry smoky finish.
A drop of water brings out rich aromas of coffee laced clotted-cream with redcurrant jelly. In fact it has an almost sherried richness with some wonderfully dusty, muscavado sugared moments. Still huge and enveloping with the peat showing a slightly more phenolic side. The palate has become a wonderful mouth filling melange of muscavado sugar coated sweet red fruit, coffee, toffee and molasses-like malt. The coastal intensity is still there and lightens the palate leaving a gently peated finish. Stunning!
Longrow Red 14 year old (2022 Release) 52.7%
11 year in Bourbon & Sherry, 3 years finishing in fresh Pinot Noir
Tasted: May 2021
The nose is quite restrained, but shows plenty of fishy, briny accented barley and astringent peat. The Pinot notes are very subtle and balanced, adding hints of redcurrant, tar and tannin. Lovely balance.
The palate is like the nose, rather restrained and opens with sweet barley, malt, salt and earthy peat. The Pinot red fruit come through on the middle with a touch of spice. Long, chewy, tarry, spicy and peaty finish. In conclusion: It’s a bit of an odd one as it’s starts slowly, goes to sleep on the middle and picks up on the finish. Delayed gratification?
Longrow ‘Limited Edition’ 14 year old 57.8%
Dirty Refill Oloroso Sherry/ Code; 18/305
Dist: Sept 2003 Btl: Jul 2018/ Tasted: July 2022
I don’t normally mention the colour of whiskies but this one is the colour of green olive oil and engine oil!
A dirty, funky, raw, green sherrywood nose of cardamom, green fruit, leather, walnut and more than a touch of sulphur. Hints of carbolic soap, liquorice, liquid walnut, earth, astringent, dirty peat, treacle and burnt wood.
The palate also displays an abundance of raw, green sherrywood, which is surprisingly un-tannic, but not un-sulphured! Raisin, walnut, liquorice, prune, bitter spice, earth, green fruit, engine oil, sulphur, funk and hints of citrus and salt. Masked, herbal, aniseed and walnut finish with lingering funk, fish oils, treacle and tar.
Water just emphasises the sulphur and burnt wood. Maybe a little more citrus now? The palate is also horrendously sulphured now, and the peat has slinked off! Bitter, woody finish with lingering green wood, sulphur and spice.
Longrow ‘Online Tasting Week’ 17 year old 50.5%
Fresh Rum
Tasted: May 2021
The nose is a little shy to begin with but displays the oily, rummy dried fruit and subtle funkiness. The peat is exceptionally subtle and the rum notes continue to develop and sweeten. All in all it’s actually quite delicate with late fish oils, brine, malt, rock pools and camphor.
The palate is oily, slightly funky and herbal with rummy dried fruit to start with, followed by sweeter rum notes. Agin, the peat is very subtle or possibly a bit submerged? Hints of malt, salt and fish oils appear. Medium length with a slightly chalky finish and lingering rock salt, violets and dry peat. In conclusiom: It really comes alive on the finish.
Longrow ‘Online Tasting Week’ 17 year old 50.5%
Fresh Rum
Btl: 2021/ Re-Tasted: Nov 2022
The nose is quite high toned and oily with plenty of rummy dried fruit, menthol, earthy peat, lime conserve, pat and astringent coastal notes. With time some buttery oak appears.
The palate is full and weighty with plenty of oily, rummy dried fruit and hints of sweet cane sugar, astringent peat, earth, menthol and salt. Very well balanced and slightly coffee’d on the middle. Long, mentholated, herbal peat finish with tar, oily dried fruit and bog myrtle.
Longrow 18 year old 46%
Sherry Casks/ Code: 12/155
Btl: 2012/ Tasted: 2012
Quite a crisp and briny nose for a Longrow. Gentle parma violets, ozone and lightly medicinal peat emerge but the aromas are exceedingly subtle. Very fresh with hints of sweet barley, vanilla custard, marshmallow and oodles of salt. With time a slightly woody note does become apparent.
The palate is again pretty subtle and lightly oiled, opening with the lightly creamy oak, barley and hints of peat dust. The building salinity makes for a very fresh middle and it finishes with some light oily tar, creosote and sweet violet mingling with the salt, but the salt holds for a lovely fresh after-taste.
Longrow 18 year old 46%
Refill Sherry Casks/ Code: 13/184
Btl: 2013/ Tasted: Sept 2014
An intense and briny nose with plenty of parma violets and coffee’d peat. Hints of apricot, dusty barley, mocha, earth and unsweetened toffee. More robust than the last time I tasted it. With time a touch of tar, creosote and pure, slightly bitter black coffee aromas appear.
The palate is full and juicy, opening with sweet barley, apricot and parma violets, followed by earthy, dusty peat. Seriously, mouth-watering, briny middle leads to a long, coffee, tar and fish oils finish. The juiciness of malt returns and although the finish is salt encrusted the fruit lingers. Not overly smoky, but the peat has a lovely coastal character.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2015 Release) 46%
Code 15/178
Btl: Apr 2015/ Tasted: Aug 2015
Lightly woody and fishy aromas with distinct oily Springbank fruit. Plenty of parma violets and hints of sweet vanilla, greengage, lime and dry, earthy peat. Rounded and deep with a fair amount of oak but it’s beautifully mature and held in check by its salinity.
Full on the palate with sweet apricot, apple and banana along with some light wood tannins and earthy peat. Like the nose suggest there is a good degree of oak on the middle with building salinity. Long and gently peated with lingering brine, parma violets and sweet oak. I would guess there is a fair amount of first fill American oak here as it gives the palate a lovely, elegant, vanilla sheen and coats the grittier peat and tannins. Finishes with some oily/ fishy notes.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2017 Release) 46%
60% Refill Sherry, 40% Fresh Bourbon/ Code: 17/ 150
Tasted: May 2017
Aromas of mature, baked fruit with dusty, cinnamon coated peat and subtle medicinal notes. The Bourbon oak is quite prominent, but the subtle sherry adds that lovely Springer grittiness. Beautifully balanced with malt, citrus, apricot and salt. With time there’s a touch of violets and sherried dried fruit.
The palate is crisp, fresh and salty with wonderfully mature, medicinal peat. Gently phenolic with baked fruit and some chocolaty sherry wood tannins, but the supple American oak balances. Juicy and lightly oiled middle with hints of malt. Long and very salty with an echo of dusty peat, violets and fish.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2018 Release) 46%
60% Sherry, 40% Bourbon/ Code: 18/141
Btl: 2018/ Tasted: Jul 2018
Although the American oak is the lesser component, it definitely punches above its weight. Quite fishy and earthy with the Amerian oak showing some lovely dusty maturity. Moderately peated with apple, salt, cinder toffee, orange and lime. The sherry adds a smidge of herbal dried fruit.
The palate is full and very oily with rich apricot, apple, lime, lemon and barley. Hints of gritty Oloroso tannins follow along with earthy peat and some sweetening toffee, but the citrus and salt notes hold. Subtly violet middle and a long, gritty, dry, earthy peat and tannin finish with a hint of barley, fish oils, malt and salt. As usual, it’s very impressive.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2019 Release) 46%
75% Sherry, 25% Bourbon/ Code: 19/031
Btl: 2019/ Tasted: May 2019
The nose is very briny and oily with grippy and gritty oak. Hints of vanilla, apricot and a subtle Cognac-esque rancio follow. There is a very minor sulphur blemish, but nothing to get overly concerned about. Earthy with a touch of astringent, herbal peat, dried apple, citrus, violets along with late coffee and wood spice notes.
The palate is full and oily with mature apricot, apple and sweet barley. Hints of coffee, earthy and herbal peat follow. It becomes quite astringent and coastal on the middle but the rich Cognac-eque fruit and a light honeyed note balance. Continues gritty and coffee’d through. Slightly austere finish with a veritable mouthful of salt, citrus and lingering, slightly violety peat and mature nutty sherry oak.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2020 Release) 46%
55% Sherry, 25% Bourbon, 2% Rum/ Code: 20/69
Btl: Aug 2020/ Tasted: Oct 2020
The nose is very subtle and opens with sweet honeyed fruit, maturer American oak and hints of fish, brine and earthy peat, with time some dark lightly raisinated fruit appears along with smoke and spice.
Soft and oily on the palate with plenty of fishy, briny peat, earth and subtle mature American oak. Hints of leather, dark dried fruit, malt, sweet tobacco, spice and more fish oils. The middle displays a touch of gritty tannin and the finish is long with the sherry really coming through and lingering sweet peat, violets, tobacco and earth. Very impressive.
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2021 Release) 46%
30% Bourbon, 60% Sherry, 10% Chardonnay/ Code: 21/132
Tasted: Oct 2021
The nose is quite fresh and astringent with the Bourbon noticeable form the start, punching above its weight I think! Subtle sherried dried fruit and peat. Maybe there is a very, very, subtle wineiness but it could be because I know the cask make up I’m looking for it? Late tar, liquorice and dark malt.
The palate is soft, quite sweet, oily, malty and vanilla’d. Again the sherrywood notes are very subtle and add a touch of darker fruit. Hints of tar, peat and astringent herbs follow. Elegant and dare I say it quite classy with a little rough edged tannins and a very, brief winey fruit note. Long, Bourbony finish with distinct winey fruit, spice and peat. In conclusion: It’s a very impressive bottling!
Longrow Limited Edition 18 year old (2022 Release) 46%
100% Sherry/ Code: 22/141
Btl: July 2022/ Tasted: Feb 2023
A lovely, deep, soft and tarry nose, showing plenty of raisinated fruit. The peat is very subtle and is playing second fiddle to the sherry. With time fish oils and coastal notes. Very clean and polished but spirit character?
The palate is also polished and raisinated with plenty of chunky and chewy dried fruit. Slightly astringent peat notes come through on the middle with a touch green fruit, fish oils and spice. Good, crisp, salty finish which blows the sherry off, so it finishes with a bit of spirit character and peat.
Longrow Limited Release 21 year old (2019 Release) 46%
40% Bourbon/ 60% Sherry
Code: 19380
Btl: Oct 2019
Tasted: Nov 2019
An austere, fishy and briny nose with an inflection of dusty peat, violets and a large dollop of sulphur! Mellow and subtle but a little stringent and dirty. Late mature American oak vanillins and dried sherry fruit.
The palate is mature and dusty with subtle peat and not so subtle sulphur notes! Astringent and coastal middle with earth and dirty dried fruit. Hard, austere, fishy and sulphurous finish with an echo of pet and bitter wood spice. I know a lot of Springbank aficionado’s like it a bit dirty but given the fact I was so looking forward to tasting an older Longrow and the fact that it retails for nearly £200 it’s all a big disappointment.
Longrow 21 year old Limited Release (2020 Release) 46%
5% Bourbon/ 95% Sherry?
Tasted: Nov 2020
An oily nose shot through with tart citrus, fish oils, brine and relatively subtle peat. Quite light with mature American oak, apricot, violets and sweet edged smoke. In the background some dried sherry fruit can be detected which over time moves into the foreground along with some slightly gritty sherrywood tannins.
The nose opens with buttery, duty American oak, brine and subtle peat. Pleasantly mature and clean with oily barley, violets, brine and plenty of sweet apricot and oily dried fruit. Mouth-filling and gently spiced. Long, with developing raisinated fruit, dried pineapple and apricot. on the finish and the return of the subtle peat smoke and sherrywood tannins. In conclusion: A considerable improvement on the 2019 release.
Whisky According to Chris Whiskyman 