The whiskey wash logo
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website
The World's Most-Visited
Whiskey Website

Trending Stories

Search
Scotch

Whisky Review: Longrow 18-Year-Old

We review Longrow 18-Year-Old, a peated expression from Campbelltown cult favorite, Springbank.

OVERALL RATING

8
  • Kirk Sig is a whisky connoisseur known for his candid and investigative approach to whisky reviews.
Like Conversation

Tasting Notes

About:

Appearance:
Amber in the glass; deep copper in the bottle. At 46%, the legs are fairly thick and slushy. They roll down the sides of the glass slower than two single cask offerings by Springbank that I recently reviewed, both of which were bottled at cask strength. Despite this fact, the whisky displays nice beading, and I can tell by the “Katy Perry thighs” that it will have a nice, oily mouth feel.
Nose:
Surprisingly, I’m reminded a little of the Springbank Local Barley 16-Year-Old. This nose is quite elegant for a peater, and fairly old school. There’s some lanolin, vanilla custard, and then the smoke kicks in with dry cigar ash, tobacco leaf, wet river stones, and walnuts. Follow-up sniffs also detect some very faint stewed fruit notes of plumb and red apple, along with lemon zest, and a little black pepper. The fruit compote notes are so muted that they pretty much blend into the whole of the dram ubiquitously.
Palate:
My 2016 edition of Longrow 18 really benefited from time to oxidize in the bottle. I like the whisky now quite a bit more than I did upon first cracking open the bottle. On my tongue, I’m getting a more viscous mouth feel than expected. Perhaps it’s because my glass has been sitting covered on my desk for nearly an hour. I use a glass “watch cover” to keep the spirit from turning flat, and it works quite well. Dried hay and a burning cigar come across as a first impression, and then comes a wave of bees wax, honey suckle, clover, caramel, sultana (yellow raisin), and the faintest hint of stewed fruit. Plums, but no apple in the mouth. A nuttiness emerges, undoubtedly from eighteen long years spent slumbering in oak. Almond paste makes an appearance. The antiseptic tang of almond nut-skin is also coming through, ever so faintly. That’s the oak talking, for sure. Finish: A very nice balance of peat, along with industrial overtones, haunt one’s tongue, in addition to the sides of one’s mouth. It’s not unpleasant. Rather invigorating, actually. I’m going to call this one a long finish. Kind of surprising for a mere 46% ABV, which isn’t low, but isn’t high, either. Cigar ash lingers on my tongue the longest. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, the whisky in my glass has a phenol level close to 55% ppm. Final Thoughts and Score: This bottling, while good, does not “wow” me quite like one back in 2013 that was some of the best whisky I’ve ever tasted. And I don’t say that lightly. It was more peaty than my 2016 bottle, and also quite a bit more complex. At the time, I wondered if there could have been some older spirit in the batch. Be this as it may, I can honestly say that I’ve ever been disappointed with Longrow 18-Year-Old official bottling releases. Now, the Springbank 18-Year-Old, well…that’s a different story. I’ve tasted some duds in my day, especially back in 2012. Prices in the United States run quite high for both of these OB Springbank distillery whiskies. It’s really a shame how they cost almost double when they go for in the United Kingdom. Can anyone say “middle man price gouging?”
Finish:
A very nice balance of peat, along with industrial overtones, haunt one’s tongue, in addition to the sides of one’s mouth. It’s not unpleasant. Rather invigorating, actually. I’m going to call this one a long finish. Kind of surprising for a mere 46% ABV, which isn’t low, but isn’t high, either. Cigar ash lingers on my tongue the longest. I guess that shouldn’t be surprising. After all, the whisky in my glass has a phenol level close to 55% ppm.
Comments:

Editor’s Note: This whiskey was either bought as a sample by The Whiskey Wash or provided to us as a review sample by the party behind it. Per our editorial policies, this in no way influenced the outcome of this review.

Whisky Kirk

Kirk Sig's fascination with Scottish whisky ignited in 1987 during a visit to Edinburgh. In the ensuing three and a half decades, he has cultivated an extensive understanding of distilleries, the whisky industry, and the global whisky landscape.

Kirk prides himself on providing candid and unvarnished reviews, eschewing the prevalent flattery and fluff that often permeate whisky commentary. This direct approach has occasionally ruffled feathers in influential circles, which he views as a testament to his commitment to prioritize the interests of the consumer.

Embracing the spirit of investigative journalism, Kirk's reviews delve deeper, leaving no stone—or cask—unturned. He believes in transparency and ensures that readers are privy to any noteworthy findings, fostering an informed and empowered whisky community.

All Posts

Latest On The Whiskey Wash

The whiskey wash logo