Longrow – Peated

Purchased in York from House Of The Trembling Madness, this dram is only the second Springbank that we have had the pleasure of drinking. As we enjoyed the Ten Year Old so much, we wanted to try a very different expression. This peated dram seemed to offer that chance.

Longrow is a whisky made by Springbank Distillery, with the express aim of creating a whisky for peat lovers. Springbank Distillery is based in Campbeltown, on the Kintyre Peninsula. Campbeltown was once home to over thirty distilleries, but now there are only three left. Springbank is often called “The Whisky Drinker’s Whisky”, as their attention to detail and traditional processes mark out the three single malts that they make from others. This Longrow is a Non Age Statemented whisky, which is twice distilled.

Cost: £30-40

Appearance: Straw and Wood Shavings

Aroma: Peat smoke, butter toffee, salted crisps and citrus.

Taste: The first notes here are salty, like the sea. They remind me of the flavour that is left on the lips after you have been whipped by a strong, cold sea breeze. There is also a sweetness of creamy custard, which flows through the whole dram.

The middle notes here are that of white pepper and wood smoke, which mingle and interweave. However they are tempered and never over powering. There is always a sweetness of custard creams and also the spice of oak. They leave tingly notes on the inside of the lips.

Lastly, as the liquid leaves there are copper notes, which resonate and stay sat on the tongue. This is the mix of smoke, salt and leather. There is lemon, which cuts through and keeps the liquid light.

Mouthfeel: Salty and Smoky.

Overall: Making a peated single malt is a huge challenge, as soon as I get a waft of peat smoke, my imagine spins to the Islay malts that I know and love. I have often tried other attempts and just felt that they didnt quite live up to the challenge and pressure put on them by the comparison. This whisky however is a different beast. It is peated, but it is complex. There are more and more notes that come out of it and as such it almost becomes a category of its own. I would encourage any and all whisky drinkers to try this dram. I think its subtly will please those that don’t cope with the power of Islay and its complexity and smoke, will deliver for those that do.

Real Dram Factor: 8.2

More Information: Springbank Distillery

Purchased: House of The Trembling Madness

Buy Online: Longrow Peated Malt 46% 70cl