Longrow 14 Year Old

Every time I write a review of a single malt from Campbeltown town I spend the first few minutes gushing on about how irrationally infatuated I am with this region for no particular reason at all.

But I'm happy to reveal that my fascination is quite justified. Barring a few bad apples (Glen Scotia 18, anyone?) it has largely been a parade of interesting and generally above-average whiskies to come out of this small region.

Specifically Springbank which produces three completely different expressions from basically the same hardware which I think is sheer genius - the Longrow being my favorite with Hazelburn as my least.

This, now sadly discontinued, 14 year old, has been finished off in sherry casks. There's not a lot of literature to find, unfortunately, and my research didn't turn up a whole lot. For example I don't know how long it was finished for or the type of sherry it was.

My guess is three years finishing in Marsala - largely because it has such a dry nose and palate. This particular sample is from an open bottle about a third finished packaged at a nice 46% ABV

Nose: Mild peat. Sweet perfume. Mild chocolate. Salt. Brine. Hint of citrus. Wet bandage. Apple cider. Brown sugar. Banana. Ginger. Starts of quite sweet followed by something coastal before finally settling down to a savory finalé. Lovely nose.

Palate: Medium bodied. Spicy at first. Cinnamon. Oak. Brown honey. Gets fruity mid-palate. Plums. Apple. Citrus. Pineapple strudel. Ginger. Salt. Slightly burnt. Not as good as the nose but good nevertheless. Evenly spreads over your palate. Gets dry towards the end.

Finish: Fairly long. Dry. Cinnamon powder. Wood. Lingers.

An accomplished whisky need not be over the top to tick all the boxes. Nicely controlled elegance.

Another offering from Campbeltown that will divide the purists and the adventurous.

This fourteen year expression spent the last three years in a burgundy hogshead and so comes along with a massive aroma profile. With the smoky peat already a dominant force in this Longrow the strong wine notes fight hard to be noticed; and, boy, do they fight! Dark jam on the breakfast table surrounded by a buttery malt and burnt toast give company to a brewing ceramic pot of green tea. The open window lets in the salty sea air and the delicate smell of a heathery bush nearby. All in all quite a heady experience.

The massive sugary spicy delivery brings with it an abundance of ripe dark fruits. There are some plums, some prunes, a few strawberries and the most gentlest of raisins. The peaty spices come in next and present you a pleasant prickling palate made from black peppers and star anise.

The finish is long and a touch bitter with a stab of oaky resin. Another long breath dries out a curious after taste of some type of red cherry medicine.

This one is certainly not for the faint hearted. So, have you decided which side of the fence you're on? You know where I sit….

Nose: subtle oak, malt, traces of peat and smoke which are light for a 'heavily peated' Campbeltown. i might be accustomed to Islay peated beasts but i like this one too even though it’s doesn't feel like 55 ppm to me. rather fresh nose, with some milk chocolate... interesting. mix of the chocolate smoke and the oak, and then some melted butter. peat too. but not coastal briny stuff, it’s different. ermmmm. nice.

Palate: Big , viscous feeling to it. sweetness and those distant embers of peat burning in the distance hit the tongue and palate.wet damp soil. Lovely stuff. Peat, here we come, but it’s not Islay here. Should it strive to be Islay? No, it’s right on the spot.

Finish : Definitely peat, some briny notes remain, no medicinal notes whatsoever, but very interesting feel to the peat. smoke stays with you quite a bit! Oak comes back at you after a few seconds, and also sort of chewed cold cigar which is not burning for quite some time. cigar embers... that's it! Lovely stuff .

The bottom line:

This is indeed an interesting and lovely dram. Maybe i needed that extra peat and sherry maturation in order to enjoy those Campbeltown malts. I am now looking forward to tasting the 10-year-old Longrow. From what i heard, it’s supposed to be a bit different and not as good, but i am keeping an open mind about this.

The highlight of our holiday was to visit Canpbelltown, enjoy the tour of Springbank Distillery and then to taste Longrow 14yo. We brought a bottle home and have been enjoying its sublime taste. Only problem - it appears to be disappearing much too quickly.