ScotchingHard
Longrow 18 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
December 7, 2019 (edited March 15, 2020)
This review is for a bottle from 2018
I gave this bottle 96 out of 100 back when I was giving scores out of 100. Now that the bottle is finished, I give it 3 stars, which is my highest rating, and the only other whisky to get it is Balblair 1990. There’s nothing much to add to my previous review. Now that the bottle is finished, it feels like I’ve lost a best friend.
This gem is simply the best standard release bottling from any Scottish distillery; matured 18 years exclusively in delicious casks. Seriously, when a bottle is this good, you really don’t care about investigating its pedigree. I was a little superfluous with the notes in my previous review, so I’ll keep it simple here: on the nose, spectacular; on the palate, spectacular; and the finish is… spectacular. $200+ is a little pricey for an 18 year old, but if pricing were based solely on quality, this would be worth twice that.
Score: *** (I am not worthy)
How much does a bottle cost: $190-220
How much do I think a bottle is worth: $450
212.0
USD
per
Bottle
Create Account
or
Sign in
to comment on this review
@Soba45 I can’t speak for any other batch, but the 2018 was just fantastic. Trust me when I say that it need extra time to open up though
@SolanaRoots I know right??! Hopefully...but I still have open 5 bottles, and I’m drinking even less...so my gut tells me this too is bound to spend its days sitting next to the other 600
@Rick_M I did—-i think because it’s a 2015, it was substantially reduced in price, sitting by its lonesome. The 2015 seems to be matured in sherry.
@Rick_M Wow! It's around AUS$260 at the moment here so I would have thougth US$130-140 would be more like your price. It is still worth it, but that's pushing the envelope, even for Longrow.
@PBMichiganWolverine - I would pull the trigger at that price. $215 is the cheapest in my area at the few places that carry it.
@Soba45 I don't think you'll regret it!
@PBMichiganWolverine Hopefully you crack your bottle open soon rather than storing in the disarrayed vault with your other 600 bottles :)
@scotchinghard Ok I managed to get the last 2018 bottling of the Longrow in my local. Looking fwd to it!
@PBMichiganWolverine If you or anyone is interested in an 18 yr vertical tasting comparison https://thewhiskeyjug.com/scotch-whisky/malt-nuts-longrow-18-vertical-tasting/
@PBMichiganWolverine There are heaps here for the $120 to $130 mark. Not sure which year I should get as I can get 2012 through to 2019 it seems
@Rick_M yeah although I love Springbank I'm very wary of purchasing their smaller batches as although I thought i love sulfur e.g. a good Mortlach I had two hazelburns which were just over the top. One I returned and one I gave away. I LOVE the 15 yr SB though and had never had a bad one.
@Rick_M after seeing @Generously_Paul and @ScotchingHard ‘s review, I pulled the trigger and got one for $130. It’s a 2015 though, so may or may not be at the same level as theirs
@Generously_Paul - It was your review that started me down this road. My last Longrow (13yo Malbec) was drank overlooking Cambeltown Lock. It was a sulfer bomb that was probably just a bad batch. Maybe time for a 2nd chance.
@Rick_M it’s worth the price if you are looking for a spoil yourself bottle that you know will deliver the goods. This is far superior to a Talisker 18 or a Macallan Rare Cask
I did reread your other review recently. I was very temped to buy a bottle until I saw the price. :)