An absolute gem of a whisky here, Longrow 18 year old is a double distilled, heavily peated single malt from Springbank distillery in Campbeltown. Longrow was first created as an experiment to make a peated whisky in Campbeltown, but its popularity grew thanks to its brazen, muscular character.
Apple peels, and smoke. Earthy peat, damp leaves, notes of truffle, woodshed, porridge oats and soot.
Peaty with notes of spicy. Very oily, with hints of orange zest, pepper and chili. Very "big". Kippers, smoked meats and honey.
Spicy and oily, with notes of dark, earthy peaty.
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Just opened this one. Oh my god! One of the best I ever tasted, this one makes an impression besides whiskies like Laphroaig 18! Fruity, a little bit spicy, and a smooth smoke this one is a must have!
I tasted the 2016 release, this is awesome. Use of rum casks can't be guessed, it is very complex, and soft. Oily it is. I can understand one may not find this one peaty enough, because it's more of a Springbank profile than typical Longrow. But this is very, very, good.
Everything I love about the distillery in a bottle. Delicious!
I meant to say 2016 Longrow. That is what I tasted last Saturday.
I just tasted the new 18 on Saturday, and I think the tasting notes above "from the chaps at master of malt" are for an earlier edition, I think. The 2016 is not very peaty at all and it's rather soapy for a Springbank. It's also thin and not nearly as oily as the earlier few years were. Kippers and smoked meats? No, not in there, IMO. I've been buying the 18's for years, so I'm not some upstart crow beautified with the feathers of other folks' internet reviews and ideas. The 2012 18 year springbank that I bought and tasted in 2013 was actually a 10 year mislabeled. I set it side by side for a tasting with friends and we all decided the whiskies were identical in the 2012 10 year and the 2012 "18" year. Hey, mistakes happen. If you have the black and white label springbank stamped 12/144 on the back of the front label, then beware. That was obviously the all time worst year for an 18 since it was a 10 mislabeled by mistake! Things got much better after that. The 2013 18 year was quite good indeed, at least the bottling that was midway through the year and not the first run of 2013. With that in mind, the 2016 isn't very good in my opinion, but of course it's much better than a 10 year that is put into a bottle with an 18 year label! I have an 18 year refill sherry single springbank that is amazing. Very very good. In my cabinet right now, I have a ton of Longrows and a few springbanks open. Two 12 year old cask strengths and that 18 single cask. Love the longrow reds, especially the pinot 12. The old longrow 14 madeira is amazing, as well. I have one bottle left of that that i'm saving. It's not the most complex longrow I've had but it is divine.
