ScotchingHard
Longrow Red 11 Year Cabernet Sauvignon Finish
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
December 10, 2018 (edited February 2, 2019)
The whole tasting notes thing has ultimately become silly to me. I cannot get other people's notes. I cannot even get my own notes from earlier. Ultimately, whisky notes are prisoners to the moment in time; once past, cannot be recreated, even from the exact same bottle. They are like a personal journal; useless things, unless you are a stalker.
Going forward, if you care, I'm only going to put up reviews, without much in the way of notes, of bottles that I purchase and finish. The main goal will be to offer an opinion on whether or not you should buy the bottle, and also to remind myself on whether or not to restock the bottle.
Of course, the first bottle I finished with this new approach is not on Distiller.
Bottle purchased on ?/?/17, and killed on 12/10/18
Springbank OB
Longrow Red Fresh Pinot Noir Casks
12 years old
52.9% ABV
Bottled in 2015
Limited release of 9000 bottles
Price: 90 USD. I purchased a second bottle for $110.
There is a definite sharp pinot noir influence, especially on a freshly opened bottle. The wine is not completely integrated with the whisky, which is not necessarily a flaw, as it adds to the excitement. The ashy smoke adds to the complexity. Tart and sweet fruit jams battle with the dank, earthy peat of Longrow. Creamy mouthfeel. Medium and complex linger with tobacco and fruits. This is not a traditional single malt; not the smoothest, or most balanced; but it's delicious, and memorable.
Rating (price not factored): 92 / 100
Purchase satisfaction (price factored): 4 / 5
90.0
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@ScotchingHard - we all write notes for different reasons. I write mine for my progeny. My hope is that one will someday trip over them and find ‘em somewhat amusing. :)
@cascode Yeah I do that for all the random funny stuff the kids say so I can look back and remember a different period of time, recreate the moment and smile. Photos can only capture so much, and memories fade so quickly (well mine do) :-).
I have to agree with both @deuce26 & @Soba45. I have fairly complete tasting journals that go back years (decades, actually) and for me they are invaluable. Reading an old tasting note transports me straight back to that moment and brings to mind the people with whom I shared the dram. I also enjoy reading other people's tasting notes for similar reasons, and the ones I enjoy most are those that include anecdotes and reminiscences as well as a solid attempt at description. Trying to create a definitive portrait of a whisky that will be acknowledged universally as "correct" is, of course, pointless and doomed to failure. So is the expectation that a review by another person will be authoritative, or the belief that whiskies themselves do not change over time. However recording or relating an honest (and hopefully entertaining) impression formed at a given time and place is a different thing entirely, and arguably critical to sharing the experience of whisky appreciation.
I agree completely, but personally I like reading yours and other people’s tasting notes and comparing them to mine. Plus, while they may vastly differ and even my own are rarely recreated, they give me a general sense of if it is the style of whisky I typically enjoy. With my own bottles I treat them as acquaintances I will enjoy, thank when good/great, and bid them farewell on the last dram. Honestly, if I want consistency I reach for my favorite blends. For me, it’s the individual experiences that make the adventurous hobby we all love.
Yeah for me it's primarily if I thought it was good or not with perhaps something random thrown in. I'm pretty much just interested in whether a person whose tastes I know and largely align to mine like it or not so I know whether to waste time trying it or not given there is just so much out there. My notes are to do likewise for others hopefully and also remind me if I've even tasted it before and did I like it. Otherwise I end up repeatedly trying the same stuff. It's easy to remember the really bad stuff and very good stuff usually but the vast majority in the middle gets blurry and forgotten pretty quickly :-)