pkingmartin
Longrow 18 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
May 1, 2021 (edited December 12, 2022)
This is my last sample of Longrow and is the most expensive of them all at 240 at my favorite liquor store. The last two were incredible, so very interested in what this one brings with 18 years of age. This is the 2015 release that @ctbeck11 was generous to provide a sample for me to taste.
The nose starts with the breakfast all adults really want of a bowl of Honey Nut Cheerios floating in a pool of sherry, then comes those sun baked green and citrus fruits (apple, pear and lemon), dark chocolate covered raisins, light peat smoke with ocean sea waves crashing over coastal rocks then old leather bound books, polished mahogany with black pepper, ginger, vanilla creme brûlée and a light ethanol burn. The taste is a very viscous mouthfeel starting with Honey Nut Cheerios, dark chocolate covered raisins then green and citrus fruit (apple, pear, lemon) then light peat smoke with ocean brine, cavern minerality, old leather and polished mahogany with ginger, mild chili and black pepper spice finishing medium length with chocolate covered raisins, black cherries, vanilla creme brûlée, old leather bound books, polished mahogany, and light peat smoke.
Wow, this one just blew the other two away! Those malty notes, mixed with salty funky fruit, minerality and those old notes of leather and mahogany make this an absolute stunning dram.
I put it up against the Hazelburn 13 to see if it would best it and it turns out to be a draw in flavor and viscosity, but Hazelburn would win based on VFM due to it being close to half the cost of the Longrow 18. Either way you can’t lose with either as they are both just amazing drinks.
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@Soba45 Thanks! That’s sad to hear this has the Talisker 18 issue of starting great and going down with oxygen. Good to know about Springbank 18 improving with time open. I have a bottle of it and wasn’t impressed at first but seems like it just needs time to breathe.
Nice review! Initially this one blew me away to but over time oxygen wasn't its friend and by the end I wasn't rating it as highly. The Springbank 18 was the opposite..just got better. Each year really is different however...i had it several years ago and wasn't impressed.
This is on my must try list—-I have a few samples of this. Anything with Springbank pedigree can’t go wrong
100% agree. Of the ~150 bottles I own, this is in the running for my favorite. I’ve heard some bottling years are better than others, but this one (2015) seems to be a winner. $240 is steep, but worth it, in my opinion. At $150, the Hazelburn is the clear value winner. I can’t think of anything else that tops it in the price range. Springbank 15 is the obvious comparison, but it’s not even in the same league.