[Longrow Red / 11 Year Old / Cabernet Sauvignon Finish] Longrow Red 11 Year Old Cabernet Sauvignon Finish

The Perth Whisky Club was meeting for the second time this month, on the first Saturday of the month. The meeting was at our standard tasting location: Helvetica Whisky Bar in the CBD.

Now I wanted to get there a little bit early so I grabbed a book to read, a couple pens and my handy dandy tasting notes journal and immediately caught a cab after getting off work.

Sadly I wound up being too early and Helvetica wasn't due to open for another 25 minutes.

This is what happens when you don't bother checking opening times on the internet in advance.

As a favorite tv show once said "what have we learned?"

Anyway I sit on a milk crate in the alley, reading my book and enjoying the delightful aromas of rotting garbage permeating the air around me.

25 minutes later the doors open and I immediately head in so that I can enjoy some lovely aromas of good whisky instead of rotting garbage.

I take a look at the whisky list and for some reason I immediately decide that Campbeltown is where I'm going to start tonight and odds are that's where I'll be all night.

As I peruse the list I notice a new Longrow on the menu. An 11 year old aged in Cabernet Sauvignon barrels and bottled at cask strength.

$19 a shot doesn't sound half bad so sign me up.

I take a seat in the corner and pretty quickly out comes my Longrow.

Wow it really is a reddish color!

Soft aromas of peat and immediately the wine casks influence can be noticed and smelled. Cherries, raspberries and grapes ooze throughout the nose along with some sweet vanilla and some faint phenolic notes. At times there is a soft smokey campfire that wafts in and out of the fruit.

Very enjoyable nose.

Just as I get ready to take a taste the first member of the club shows up and joins me. I suggest that he might want to try Ardbeg Galileo which he immediately orders.

Time for my taste!

Immediately I get the peat, it's not shy or subtle at all and then the whisky goes oaky, with some bitter chocolate, then leather, some sweet fruits, but faint. At times this whisky is salty and at other times a little overly sweet.

The finish is long and drying with oak, raisins, cherries and at the very end is a hint of charcoal smoke.

Not a bad whisky, especially to start the night out. However there's something just a little bit lacking. It's good, at times quite good, but something holds it back from great.

Meanwhile the first member is enjoying the Ardbeg Galileo immensely!

I'd happily enjoy the Longrow Red 11 year old Cabernet Sauvignon again, and even better this whisky can be purchased for around $130 AUS if you look around some of the specialty bottle shops.

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