Review #: 244
Description: Longrow Open Day 2020
Spirit: Scotch
Background: Springbank’s peated line, this Longrow was bottled for their yearly special release. The 2020 version was aged for 10 years in a combo of fresh pinot noir casks and refill malbec casks. Sounds interesting so let’s try it.
Distillery – Springbank
Bottler – Springbank
Brand – Longrow
Selection – N/A
ABV – 53.7%
Age – 10 Years
Nose – Savory peat smoke, sweet bbq sauce, smoked peaches, milk chocolate bar, dry white grape
Taste – Sweet white grape and cream, caramel, dark raspberry, cranberries, a little bit of sweet citrus comes in. Pretty fruity and sweet with a medium mouthfeel.
Finish – Chocolate, sweet cherries, toasted oak and marshmallow, touch of sea salt. The sweetness fades and then a wave of peat embers comes in and lingers on the palate
Score: 7
Would I buy a bottle? Yes, when it came out. I don’t think I would pay for one at auction
Thoughts: This one was pretty interesting and really grew on me as I drank it. The peat certainly didn’t try to take center stage but was a nice compliment on the nose and finish. The wine I think added a nice bit of sweetness and fruitiness to the whiskey. Ultimately, it feels well composed but not truly groundbreaking.