Review by: TOModera
What was the occasion: I’m trying to get back to reviewing again, and there’s some samples sticking around that I look at and feel a sense that I should have gotten to them before. This is one of… quite a few too many, if I’m being honest.
Oh darn, the baby boy has too much whisky to drink. How will he ever get through life? All of that is me mocking myself and being sarcastic. Yes, I should learn to talk to myself nicer, you’re right.
What whisky did we review? Longrow Red 15 Pinot Noir is the yearly “Red” release for 2022. For those of you who missed it, which is a lot of you given how much these sell at Auction, 2022 saw Longrow Red use New Zealand Pinot Noir Barriques as it’s extended maturation, and was originally aged in ex-Bourbon barrels.
Wait a second, did I say the Red Tawny Port was the 2022 release? Looking both up, both were released, or at least bottled, in 2022. That’s kinda confusing. Can’t see why, but also I haven’t seen a 2023 release yet, so perhaps it’s a logistics thing?
God I miss the old, somewhat predictable days when my brain wasn’t mush.
This is also the oldest Longrow Red (based on what I’ve read and had), which is a new direction for Longrow Red, which they typically change. That said, this is also the third time we’ve seen Pinot Noir casks, so have they figured out something we haven’t?
What’s the distillery? Springbank Distillery, which is owned by J & A Mitchell & Company, which owns at least part of all Campbeltown distilleries, is probably well known by now. Do people go nuts for releases? Yes. Have I met a whisky person who doesn’t like Springbank releases? No, I have not, and fear such a person would undo all of creation.
But why Longrow, right? If Hazelburn, Springbank, and Longrow are all made at the same distillery, why have different names? Well Longrow is the name of an old distillery that was founded in 1824. It was shut down in 1896, in the first major closing of multiple distilleries due to lack of quality standards. The second time was the 80s, and probably was Reagan’s fault.
What’s my bias? Campbeltown whisky will never be demystified for me. I’m not joking, I can learn more and more about it, I can drink multiple of them a year, I can wax poetically, and I may even end up going to Campbeltown festival at some point. None of that will stop my brain from looking at the region and imagining the equivalent of seeing dragons and unicorns running around.
So I’m biassed as heck. I wish I could live in a place where getting these releases was easier, but I’d also like mechan-o limbs that were stronger than 12 men, so we’re going to lean into the cards we’re dealt.
Let’s see how this does, shall we?
Distillery: Springbank Distillery.
Bottler: Distillery Bottling.
Region: Campbeltown.
ABV: 51.4%.
Age: 15 years. Bottled in 2022.
Cask type: 11 year old Bourbon Barrels, then 4 years in Fresh New Zealand Pinot Noir Barriques.
Price: € 290.
Color: 5YR 6/10
Nose: Grape musk, cola, smoked pork, fresh doughnuts, nutmeg
Springbank really understands it’s market. Sure, they could cut back on fermentation time and probably make more whisky through efficiency, but then we wouldn’t get this funky yeast/fermented note, and then I’d be writing about a clean Longrow like I did about a Ledaig recently.
Fatty, sweet, spice, and smoke, along with some pops of kola and old fruit. I’m in.
Taste: Pumpernickel, raspberry jam, oysters, anise, cashew
Acidic, yeasty, and briney. It felt less yeasty than before, less meaty and more to the brine and fruit elements. I’m sure someone has added a raspberry shrub to an oyster before, meaning they are keeping this knowledge from us.
Yes, that must be the reason.
Okay, it’s all a bit odd, funky, and fun. I don’t know if non-whisky geeks or people who don’t taste lots of things for fun would enjoy the flavour. I did, but I’m fundamentally broken (like all whisky reviewers).
Finish: Vegetal/farmy/hay, brine, grassy/anise, cocoa, jerky
Interestingly the funk goes to farminess, the brine subsides, the spice increases, and there’s a bunch of well developed peat once you add water. It’s not as odd as it was before. I guess I have to start having more fruit and shellfish.
Conclusion: Solid. Not too farmy, not overly “red wine” dominant, and very tasty. It gets a bit weird in the middle, but this is Longrow Red. This isn’t “I better pour this for people to debate if they like whisky”. It’s never been that. It’s “Hey, I got something cool and weird and solid”. This is all of those things.
Have there been better Longrow Red, that aren’t as weird? Easily, hands down. This is the odd one, like that one cousin in your family get-togethers (aka me). That said, it’s well ahead of just another unique dram, due to the complexity inherent. It doesn’t totally always work, but it works enough that I’d say this is a must try (for whisky nerds).
Final Score: 84.
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 