Review #221 - Longrow Red 15 Year - Pinot Noir Cask Matured
The Longrow Red series pairs heavily peated distillate with a variety of red wine casks for finishing. There have been a number of different cask types used in the past, such as Tawny Port, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Shiraz, Cabernet Franc... quite a few, really. This bottle we're reviewing has the highest age statement of the bunch, as far as we can tell.
After spending 11 years aging in ex-bourbon casks, this spirit was transferred to New Zealand Pinot Noir casks - fresh barriques from Grant Taylor, to be specific. Taylor has won numerous awards for Pinot Noir wine; as per usual with Springbank, then, the oak used for aging will be very high quality. A decent length of finish, too, tallying 4 additional years - how will that wine influence be balanced with the ex-bourbon casks, as well as the base spirit influence?
As it's a Springbank product, we know this has a high quality presentation - no chill filtration, no added color, and a solid strength of 51.4% ABV.
Longrow Red 15 Year - Pinot Noir Cask Matured
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Current Locally Available Price: USD 274 (2024)
Age Statement: 15 Years
Strength: 51.4% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks and fresh Grant Taylor Pinot Noir barriques
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; 9,400 bottles, 2022 release
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 3 times over 4 months; bottles at 90%, 60%, and 50% fill levels at times of review. Tasted in a Glencairn glass each time, rested 10-15 minutes
Nose: Musty and savory, with red meat, funky red wine, and slightly earthy notes. The peat has medium strength, and there's more spice from peppercorns and sharp oak tannins; sweetness comes from vanilla and pomegranate. A subtle scent of mushrooms reduced in red wine permeates.
Palate: The mouthfeel is medium-thick; lots of different facets to this, it's a nice mix of sweet, sour, and spice. Strong on the fruit side - strong wine cask influence with cranberry, raspberry, tannic red wine, and juicy orange; there are spices of cinnamon and pepper, too. Nice aged notes of stronger oak and leather, and a fizzy element on the back end. Medium-strong musty peat smoke.
Finish: Medium-long - the smoke begins to soften, and there's still a lot of fruit to pick through. Tart orange, pomegranate, and raspberry to start, which is backed up by spices like pepper, cardamom, and slightly nutty oak. Subtle hints of old polished oak furniture, and an aftertaste of salami and other dried meats.
Final Note: This is very cask-forward, probably the most cask-dominant Springbank product that we can remember tasting. That isn't necessarily a bad thing, but we like a little more balance, if we're nitpicking. Otherwise, this is a very tasty Campbeltown malt - strong peat and wine casks is a famous combination for a reason... it just works. There's a nice musty, slightly umami side that elevates this bottle above some of the others in that category.
Unfortunately, most any Springbank is hard to come by these days, and these special releases are even more rare. Availability is poor, and prices are generally high because of that, unless you're lucky enough to buy directly from the distillery. Value, then, leaves something to be desired.
Our Average Rating: 7.8 / 10
In the current whisky landscape of increasing prices and variable quality, we've added a value rating to our reviews that relates to the score and the available pricing of each whisky. This roughly equates to a 0-10 scale; no reviews so far have exceeded a score of 10, although it is technically possible for the formula to produce a value rating higher than 10 with a high enough score and low enough price.
Value Rating: 4.82
