Longrow 18 years

Longrow

Origin

Campbeltown (Scotland)

Type

Single Malt Whisky

Barrel

Sherry

Age

18 years

Alcohol

46°

Value

200 points

About the product

Only a very small quantity of Longrow is produced each year. As such, it is almost a miracle that barrels of at least 18 years old remain to make this whisky, despite the high demand from the whisky world for products from Springbank's stable. So take advantage of it, because this Longrow 18yo is not only limited edition and rare, it is also relatively affordable and just plain delicious too.

This version had a mixed maturation of 90% sherry casks and 10% porto casks. This gives it a unique and rich flavour profile.

On the nose, the dark fruits (blackberry jam), walnuts and liquorice immediately stand out. The smoky Longrow signature is present, but nicely intertwined by the long ageing. The peat smoke continues on the palate. The fruit evolves into black forest cake, maraschino cherries and dates. A distinct component of black chocolate (ganache) makes its appearance. The finish is long and smooth. Coffee beans come to mind, as do sea salt and the ubiquitous peat smoke.

A dram to take your time with, just like the people at Springbank did before the long ageing!

About the brand

Springbank Distillery was founded in 1828 on the site where ancestor Archibald Mitchell was already using an illegal kettle at the time. It would grow over the years to become one of the most popular distilleries for whisky lovers. Springbank was also one of only two distilleries to survive the crash of the 1930s after Campbeltown's heyday as the capital of the whisky world in the late 19th century - more than 30 other distilleries had to close in Campbeltown during that period. Three different single malts are produced at Springbank. Hazelburn (made since 1997) is unturped and is distilled three times. Longrow is heavy-turfed and is distilled twice and finally Springbank itself is distilled 2.5 times and is medium-turfed.

Longrow has been made at Springbank since 1973. Legend has it that the creation of this heavily-turfed single malt (50ppm) involved a bet. One evening, a number of Islay distillery managers sat down with the then manager of Springbank. It was firmly asserted that only on Islay could a whisky be made with that so iconic heavily smoked and phenolic character. The Springbank manager thoroughly disagreed, and thus the idea for Longrow was born. Whether the story is true is less important than the fact that it is a good story, right?

However, the facts are clear: Longrow has since become a crowd-pleaser for the whisky value-seeker, a solidly-turfed single malt with a character all its own. The standard range consists of an entry-level bottle at 46% with no age indication, the Longrow 18yo and the 21yo. Limited editions of the Longrow Red (with a finish in different casks each time) and the 8yo Cask Strength are also released annually.