Review #527 - Longrow Red 7 Year Pinot Noir Cask Matured
Springbank's 'Longrow Red' series has recently come to an end, replaced by a '100 Proof' bottling - this won't carry an age statement, but will generally be around 6 years old, and it uses a combination of ex-bourbon and Pinot Noir red wine cask aging. Actually, that's eerily similar to the bottle that we're looking at today: one of the final entries in the Red series, a 7 year old finished in Pinot Noir casks. They even carry the same bottling strength of 57.1% ABV.
While the new 100 Proof version will spend roughly 4 years in ex-bourbon casks and 2 years in refill Pinot Noir casks, this Red release from early 2024 spent 4 years in ex-bourbon and 3 years in Pinot Noir - one additional year of aging. This isn't the first time we've seen a Pinot Noir release from Longrow, either - it's one of the more common cask types used in their aging, appearing in the Red series in 2015 (12 Year Old), 2019 (11 Year Old), and 2022 (15 Year Old).
Springbank always gives us quality bottling specifications - in addition to that high strength, there's no worry of chill filtration or artificial coloring.
Longrow Red 7 Year Pinot Noir Cask Matured
Scotland/Campbeltown - Single Malt
Price: USD 145 (2025, based on recent auction results)
Age Statement: 7 Years
Strength: 57.1% ABV
Cask Makeup: Ex-bourbon casks, finished in Pinot Noir wine casks
Details: Not chill filtered, no color added; bottled March 4, 2024; 10,000 bottles
Tasting Methodology: Reviewed 1 time; bottle 90% fill level at time of review. Tasted in a nosing glass, rested 15+ minutes
Nose: Musty peat smoke - a decent amount of it, stronger than some other Longrow bottlings. A bit funky, with some sulphur and savory mushrooms; fruit arrives in the form of orange.
Palate: A medium-thick mouthfeel, full of strong sharp peat, which also has a musty side again. There's a strong mineral note like slate and salt, but that's balanced by fruits of pear, stone fruit like peach, and cranberry sauce. It's quite bright, and a malty backbone hides in the background.
Finish: Stronger peat smoke lingers, making this a long finish. Tart red fruit like cranberry and grapefruit combine with 'Campbeltown funk,' soft oak, and a bit of youthful spirit.
Final Note: Very tasty whisky from Campbeltown - this one is definitely on the spirity side, not showing a lot of age or oak. Because of that, more of the pure Springbank/Longrow spirit is left intact - that great musty peat, mineral spirit, and classic funk. The wine does have some influence, but we didn't find it overly heavy, instead adding just lighter tart fruit flavors.
Value is okay - these bottles are quite hard to find due to their limited nature and the number of whisky drinkers and collectors that want them. Because of that, prices are sometimes a bit inflated from the suggested retail pricing from Springbank; this is a good bottle to seek out, but be careful not to overpay.
Our Average Rating: 8.0 / 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: 6.09
About Us: We're a husband and wife review team living in the Midwest United States. Generally, our reviews and tasting notes will be a compilation of both of our experiences with a whisky over several tasting sessions.
Check out our other Longrow reviews:
Review #410 - Longrow 21 Year (2022)
