Longrow Red 10 Year Refill Malbec Matured

Nose: Soft, rounded cereal aromas with a whiff of sea-breeze and subtle smoke. Floral grapes, red berries, farmyard, horse stall and diesel fuel but the nose does not really come alive until water is added. When neat there is an alcohol “nip” that is irritatingly distracting because it obscures the obvious wealth of rich aromas that are present. It’s like trying to listen to a great singer over a raucous bar-room crowd. Add water slowly until the alcohol intrusion disappears then give the whisky a few minutes to rest and recover. You’ll be rewarded with toffee, milk chocolate, cherries, leather, malt syrup and tobacco, all melded into a rich whole. Palate: Spicy and sweet with tangy dark citrus in the arrival. Molasses, dark cherry in the development, but just like the nose it is only after reduction that this whisky impresses. When neat it is a little raw and harsh but dilution removes that and the texture is much improved, gaining density and a velvety silkiness. The typical Longrow ashy peat is present on the palate as well, together with an umami quality that reminds me of a sauce I make for pan-fried pork that combines ginger, allspice, tamarind paste and coconut syrup. Finish: Medium. Ashen malt and sweet tobacco, burnt sugar and a little brine. If there is a failing in this whisky it is on the finish which is OK but not great. A very good Longrow Red, and even if not the very best expression of Red it’s still so far ahead of many other whiskies it’s not funny. Like other “old school” profiles (e.g. Ben Nevis and Mortlach) there is an unmistakable aroma and taste to Longrow that somehow conveys age and tradition, however vague and unlikely that may seem. This is a divisive dram with some high profile critics disliking it intensely, but for me the marriage of Longrow’s earthy, gentle peat and good red wine casks is always magic, and always worth a try. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars)

Longrow Red Refill Malbec Matured is age stated at 10 years. It is matured for 7 years in bourbon barrels and in South African refill malbec barriques for 3 years. It is a limited release of 10,000 bottles. It is bottled at cask strength, 52.5% ABV. I do not know the MSRP for this bottle, and you probably won’t be able to find this at MSRP. I bought this one on the secondary for $200. I love Longrow Red. There is something immensely pleasurable about the dirty, diesel fuel that is Longrow combined with the elegant fruits of a good red wine. Every release feels elevated because the red wine barrels that are used were actually from something drinkable, and the amount of influence from the wine is bold. This is a malbec braising liquid reduced to just short of sauce consistency on some savory, meaty cask strength Longrow. You can still smell the malbec grapes on the nose. It is macerated in diesel fuel and dirt. On the palate, there is a mouth-watering acidity from the immense wine influence, like raspberry and basalmic vinegar, but with that meaty, ashy backbone of Longrow. The transition from something bright and effervescent into something savory and umami and finally into cigar ashes is an irresistible experience. This is not the best Longrow Red, which I would have to give to the 15 year Pinot Noir, but this is a Longrow Red, and they are all pretty similar. If you’ve never had one before, I would recommend trying a pour first, because it is definitely not for everyone; and then if you like it as much as I do, seek out any bottles that you can find at a reasonable price, for which I believe the Octomore price range (~$300) is fair. It is THAT special.

Apricot, tobacco, pepper. Very warm on the tongue with a very smooth sweet finish.

Nose: Initially fresh, floral, raspberries and cherries, turns to earthy peat, diesel, tobacco, dark chocolate, vinegar and black pepper. Palate: Oily, earthy, diesel, tobacco, leather, black pepper, hints of raspberry, caramel, cocoa and sour citrus, sweet tropical fruits arrive late. Finish: Medium length with sweet, sour, savory notes. Wish I had a bottle of this. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

First Longrow Red I've picked up in awhile. Initial impression was not good, just got a lot of astringency. Tasted it side by side with the Chilean Cabernet edition and it's not even in the same league. It does improve with some air. Sour cherry really starts to come forward, which is a pretty interesting note. In a vacuum it's not bad, but the 2-3 other Longrow Reds I've had were far better.

When I first opened the sample and poured it, it was straight alcohol and sour red berries, but after a healthy dose of water to calm it down and some time, the flavors began to emerge. The nose starts with a mix moderate peat, sun soaked hay, floral and slightly soured red berries then a campfire next to the ocean that fades to the background of diced and sugared strawberries on Angel food cake, cherries jubilee and canned peaches that transitions to seaside rocks with ocean waves crashing over them, leather and mild oak with high ethanol burn. The taste is a medium mouthfeel starting with a tangy barbecue sauce fruit flavor then a mix moderate peat, burning hay, dried wild flowers and slightly soured red berries before a moderate smoke from a campfire next to the ocean that fades to the background of strawberry pie, maraschino cherries and caramelized peaches on vanilla gelato before transitioning to a cavernous minerality, leather and mild oak with high ethanol burn. The finish is medium length with a strawberry balsamic reduction, vanilla pound cake, lemon pith, burnt hay, black pepper and moderate oak spice. This is a fun one that manages to bring in flavors of red berries, orchard fruit, tangy barbecue sauce, farmy funk, sea spray, smoke and minerality that all work well together with a great balance, but it shows it’s youth with a slight astringency. I think this could have used a few more years of aging to really polish off any of those flaws, but it’s still a very delicious whisky. At $170+ near me, I don’t think there is any value to be found here as there are plenty of other options to be found for far less. A huge thank you to @ctbeck11 for the generous sample.