Review by: ZoidbergOnTheRocks
I had a couple of nice Longrow samples from Throwboats, so I figured I’d try them against a fine old bottle of Springbank 18, from the first batch of it bottled in 2009. Going in I’ll admit that the Springbank is a clear frontrunner… let’s see what happens. Tasted on 8/12/2020, all neat in a Glencairn.
Longrow 15 Year (2001) Chardonnay Finish
Distillery: Springbank
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Campbeltown
ABV: 55.6%, cask strength
Age: 15 years old. Distilled in 10/2001. Bottled in 09/2017.
Cask type: Refill Bourbon + Refill Chardonnay
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 330 bottles, from a single cask.
Nose: plastic, chalk, odd strong perfume, Dr. Pepper, dried fruit, wax, a bit of smoke.
Taste: pepper, dark fruits, smoke, mildly oily, very drying.
Finish: pepper and spice, very drying, some of that Dr. Pepper flavor, some smoke.
Yea, this was a bad idea. I think I’d have rather had it after the first 6 years in the bourbon cask. The nose is very off-putting, and the chardonnay finish overwhelms most aspects of this bottle. A shame.
Final Score: 65.
A standard Longrow 18, bottled in 2019. Supposedly 75% sherry casks and 25% bourbon.
Distillery: Springbank
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Campbeltown
ABV: 46.0%
Age: 18 years old. Bottled on 01/28/2019.
Cask type: 75% Sherry + 25% Bourbon
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 4,800 bottles.
Nose: peat smoke, funky, dark fruits, cherries, a bit of the sea, wax, chalk, a bit of old socks.
Taste: smoke, sweet, more citrus and bright (lemon, orange), a bit oily.
Finish: that brighter citrus is still there, smoke, funky, a bit sweet. The smoke is excellent, and the finish is quite long. You can find a bit of sweetness from it around your mouth for quite some time after.
Overall this is quite nice. Well balanced, good peat smoke over a fine sherried Scotch.
Final Score: 82.
Springbank 18 Year (First batch, 2009)
This is an old bottle of Springbank 18, the first batch from 2009 and a UK market bottle. A bit of research suggests 80% sherry casks on this one, 20% bourbon.
Distillery: Springbank
Bottler: Distillery Bottling
Region: Scotland, Campbeltown
ABV: 46.0%
Age: 18 years old. Bottled in 2009.
Natural color. Non-chill-filtered. One of 7,800 bottles.
Nose: dark berries, currants, dried fruits, vanilla, perhaps a bit of licorice, a bit of the sea, later smoke comes, wax, a bit funky.
Taste: mouth is a bit oily, some wax, sherry, dark berries, some sweetness, some smoke, a bit of seaweed.
Finish: funky, light smoke, a tiny bit of peppery spice, that sherry influence lingers, finish is quite long, the fruits stay the longest. The light smoke is oh so nicely integrated.
The sherry influence on this is fantastic. Not over the top. Well balanced with the rest of the Springbank flavors and a lovely subtle smoke. It’s rich with a nice complexity, I felt like I could find something else each time I returned to it.
Final Score: 87.
Comparison
Order: old Springbank 18 > Longrow 18 > Longrow 15 Chardonnay
The old Springbank 18 is really quite good, The sherry is darker and richer than what I get off of the Longrow 18, and it’s a more complex dram overall. I need to find a recent bottling of this to try against the older one to see how it’s changed since 2009. The Longrow 18 is very good as well, but the Springbank is a notch above for sure.
The Longrow 15 Chardonnay finish is just sad.
Scoring Legend:
- 95-100: As good as it gets. Jaw-dropping, eye-widening, unforgettable whisky.
- 90-94: Sublime, a personal favorite in its category.
- 85-89: Excellent, a standout dram.
- 80-84: Quite good. Quality stuff.
- 75-79: Decent whisky worth tasting.
- 70-74: Meh. It’s definitely drinkable, but it can do better.
- 60-69: Not so good. I might not turn down a glass if I needed a drink.
- 50-59: Save it for mixing.
- 0-49: Blech.
Malt Runners 