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)