Longrow 18yo (46.0%): Longrow is the third brand distilled by Springbank distillery. It is the most peated member of the family at 55 ppm and distilled only twice while Hazelburn is going through triple distillation with no peat at all and Springbank is distilled 2 1/2 times with a peatiness level of 15-20 ppm. The brand takes its name from the old Longrow Distillery which used to be one of the earliest licensed distilleries in Campbeltown originally located next to Springbank Distillery. Color: Very pale, straw like. Pinot Grigio. Nose: Cotton wiping rags soaked in fuel, like the ones you use to clean the outboard engine of your little wooden boat. New wet paint on the very same boat, salty sea spray and wet sand. Blueberry rhubarb pie a little on the sour side, green wood, dirty martini and thick soot. Chalk and rose petals. Water opens up all the layers wide open: Grilled green asparagus, young calvados and raw honey. Palate: Crushed red peppers, cigar ash and chilled pear compote. Shepherd's pie and Dijon mustard. Even a few drops of water amplified the peat notes immensely. Juniper berries, black pepper and ginger. Finish: Long but a very gentle fade out with black pepper and black garden soil. Overall: Such a delicate and gentle whisky. For a 55 ppm peat monster I was expecting it to roar out loud but instead I found a purring old cat. It's amazing what eighteen years in well selected high quality casks can do to a highly peated spirit. With a whopping price tag close to 200 bucks it's far away from being your everyday whisky but it's a superb dram I have to say. Many thanks to Soner Tunay for the sample...
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