Longrow 18 Year

NOSE Banana chips, Nilla Wafers, toasted nuts, strawberry shortcake, and some slight oak, earth and smokiness. Quite light on the smoke, not nearly as peaty/smoky as some of the other Longrows I’ve had. PALATE Strawberry cheesecake, earthy graham, cocoa, roasted nuts, smoke, creamy vanilla, dried orchard fruit, citrus and malty sweetness with a touch of citrus and baking spice. Earthy malty and dessert sweet, the palate is denser and more complex than the aroma. FINISH Long -> Smoke, strawberry cheesecake, baking spice and nuts fade to smoked Nilla Wafers.

(Good Spirits Co. Glasgow – Virtual Whisky Tasting, 16 September 2022). Nose: Woody, gristy, wet peat, tropical fruit notes (mango/papaya) Palate: Orange, pepper, chilli, dried meat, hairspray, caramelised fruit Finish: Long finish. Mud & earth, sweet smoke, lightly burned caramel, vanilla, old oak, leather bound books This is a beautiful dark and musty dram, but with some amazing tropical fruit notes on the palate. Chewy, fruity, peaty, sweet and beautifully aged - delicious! Fab! Fab! Fab! 2022 release Matured in ex-sherry casks Peated for 48 hours Came first out of the six drams, with 63% of the final vote for favourite of the night. 94% of those present said they enjoyed the whisky. This got my vote for favourite of the tasting.

On the nose, white peppery, green apple, pear and a little un-ripe banana, with a charcoal grill the next yard over grilling 8 Hebrew Nationals. Pretty malty upfront on the taste; a little surprising from the nose. The pear and charcoal take center stage as it travels to the finish. This was a Christmas gift from my wife...took the bottle she gave me, back, and got this one - I know I'm a horrible person. This is very good bottle but not happy with the price and ABV. I'm glad I have it as a collector, but wouldn't stretch this far in my pocket if I wasn't a nerd. 5.0 - go out and buy all of the stock you can find. 4.0 - must buy at least one bottle before you die. 3.0 - solid, must try at a bar, or mooch from a friend. 2.0 - didn't like it, you may. 1.0 - you may have the palate of my dog, and he licks his own ass.

Sweet lemon candies, soot, charcoal, honey, malt and seashore great the nose. Palate is slightly viscous with more lemon candies, honey, malt, plus some caramel, red fruits, umami, sea salt, black pepper. Finish is longish and peppery. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Nose - oily peat, charred orange, lemon, sultana, green apple, funky herbal notes, vanilla cream, yeast, honey, overripe banana, chocolate, cinnamon, butterscotch, rich oak, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - oily peat, lemon zest, charred orange, dark chocolate, coffee, mint, ginger, white pepper, caramel, tar, vanilla, brine, cinnamon, nutmeg, honey, fig, moderate alcohol bite, finishing long with charred citrus, oily peat, honey, and dark chocolate flavors. The last of my Longrow reviews is this 18 Year bottled in 2015 and aged exclusively in sherry casks. The nose is fantastic. Rich, oily maltiness, honeyed fruits, charred orange and lemon, and even some rummy banana notes. The palate smacks you with more dirty peat, some deeply sour citrus, chocolate, and sherried fruit flavors. The mouthfeel is thick and the finish is deliciously long. This is outstanding whisky. The additional age really helps the classic Longrow aromas shine. There’s some sourness, but it’s deeper and less youthful than the others I reviewed. My biggest issue with the standard Peated and Red releases I tried was the brightness. I think the age is just right with this one. I’d love to try the 21 Year, but the price tag is holding me back. At $250 a bottle for the 18 Year these days, you’re not getting deal. But you are getting one hell of a whisky.