Review #122: Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whiskey, NAS, 46%, OB

Halloween blogging

So this is the basic Longrow, which is the double-stilled and heavily peated Springbank. Probably a mix of ages (from young to very young) and probably not a mix of casks (refill bourbon).

Nose: crazy stuff. Well, maybe not, but there's lots of paraffin and plastic, greasy varnish, smoky pears, toasted oats, tonic, and, eventually, some sweet, creamy notes and citrus comes through. Lots of peat and rather youngish, but no monster.

Palate: rather dull, actually. ginger tonic plus some phenols.

Finish: lots of smoky, vegetal peat and then a burst of sweetness -- banana creme pie, I think -- plus herbal tonic.


This is good, dependable stuff. If there are any eccentricities, they are interesting ones. It falls apart on the palate for me, but otherwise very enjoyable.

score: 84

Review #87: Longrow Rundlets and Kilderkins 11yrs, 2001/2013, 51.7%, OB, 9000 bottles

from the Springbank empire

This is, oddly, my first post on Longrow, which I guess you could call double-distilled and heavily-peated Springbank. "Rundlets and Kilderkins" are teeny weeny barrels. From what I've heard, the experiments with these barrels went pretty well. I'm a bit late with this review.

Nice Longrow nose -- rich peat, with lots of machine oil and bits of smoked salmon and inner tubes and vegetal farminess. There's some sweetness to go with it, too: candied chestnuts and stewed fruits with cloves. There's a lot more going on -- maybe some dark chocolate and tobacco -- but it's all mixed up with the peat smoke.

palate: a little bit of oil, a whole lot of prickly, salty peat. Aspirin and grapes.

finish is long and ashy, balanced by some honey/grape sweetness and olive brine. very long finish.


I don't know what the casks had to do with it, but this works very well -- intense Longrow with no flaws and a bit of roundness.

score: 89