Whisky does not always have to be silken, filigree and beautiful. Sometimes, you do not want to have the often-quoted “liquid sunshine” in your glass, but scratch the bottom of a barrel (figuratively speaking) for a good dose of smut and grime. The most recent special bottling from Longrow – the peated single malt Scotch whisky brand of Springbank Distillers – is such a dirty dram. It first appeared on my radar after I read a review of it over at Tom Trinkt, a highly recommendable German blog I never miss a post of. As the noticeable sulphur notes, which are present in every phase of the degustation, did not really become best buddies with Tom’s taste buds, I was happy to take the remainder of his bottle off his hands. After all, I have a tendency of enjoying unconventional sips like this. And I was not disappointed. Sure, this fully sherry-matured Longrow 14yo is quite an ugly beast. But so is the Toxic Avenger… and I still love him dearly!
by Tobi
Eye: Rusty, weather-beaten metal.
Nose: A sharp nose with a twist. Grilled portobello mushrooms, gone-out matchsticks, charred wood, brown sugar and mushy plums drowned in a flood of Maggie sauce. This certainly ain’t no aroma mix you get to smell every day!
Palate: Booyyy! This whisky is so strong that I would rather call it mouth-conquering than mouth-coating! Once the tongue has recovered from the initial sting, honey-glazed bacon and bonfire smoke appear alongside unsugared strawberries and overripe garden fruits. And last but not least, the matchsticks and mushrooms from the nose make an appearance on the palate, too.
Finish: An on-going, bulky finish with suckling pig, tree bark, chimney soot and brimstone. While I usually try to steer clear of other bloggers’ tasting notes until my own write-up is finished, I cannot help but recite Tom’s slightly rotten apples here as well. I know that some of the things I sensed in this 14-year-old Longrow seem a bit off, but that is exactly what I like about this malt. It’s rough, dirty, old-school and one of a kind!
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- The dram
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- The label
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- In the glass
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- Promo shot (taken from SpringbankWhisky.com)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Region: Scotland (Campbeltown)
Aged: 14yo
Alc. volume: 57.8 per cent
Bottle size: 0.7 litres
Price range: ~70.00 Euro
More info: http://www.springbankwhisky.com/ (Distillery)
BarleyMania | Whisky & Whiskey 
Very interesting, thank you so much for this review!
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Years ago I was given one of those boxsets where you get 4 miniatures (sadly I didn’t record what they were, I was beginning my whisky journey then). I remember saying to a colleague, one was nice, the others were rough as boots, like firewater, my colleague said “nothing wrong with firewater now and again” :) Your opening paragraph reminds me of that :) It would be interesting to revisit them to see what i think now :)
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Ha I see that sulfur you like is in here too. This whisky sounds like quite a beast. I hope we’ll get some of this in Canada, I love sherried Springbank and longrow
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I have my fingers crossed that it becomes available on the other side of the pond as well. If not, you might at least be able to grab an open bottle from someone, who has tried but not conpletely enjoyed it. That’s how I got mine. With a whisky that divisive, there should be several open bottles up for grabs. ;)
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I had no idea this existed until now…and there are 4 bottles in my metro area. the hunt is on!
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Ah, good luck. It’s definitely an offbeat whisky. But if you have a soft spot for unusual flavor profiles, there’s a good chance you’ll be loving it!
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That’s one of those I would be scared to try… I am so sensitive to sulphury notes… Just reading gave me this flavour hallucinations I have to deal with now. Great read! Makes me feel I tried it with you ;)
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For some reason, sulphur is an off-note I really enjoy in whisky. But I can also understand why others are a little put off by it. ;)
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