Longrow Sherry Cask Matured 14 Year Old Cask Strength Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

A whisky that's bound to polarise: While many have loved the fact that it takes Longrow on a different trajectory ("rough, dirty, old-school and one of a kind!"), others have lamented that Springbank doesn't do sherry well. A little controversy breeds intrigue, so no surprise this leapt off the shelves of major UK retailers (now sold out). We're thankful to get what we did. Distilled in 2003 and matured in refill oloroso sherry casks until July 2019 with an outturn of 9000 bottles.

Tasting note: Copper penny / sienna brown. Opening sniffs offer struck match, pencil eraser, sulphur aplenty, and it almost masks the malt. Dig deeper and you get ginger biscuit, dried fruit, bitter peel / bitter dark chocolate and nutty notes emerging; the peat comes across like chimney soot. The nose improves with air contact while it's more typically Longrow on the palate: A mammoth malt with a sooty streak, the ABV showing good control. Lots of Christmas spice and bittersweet dark chocolate, orange peel, pepper, mild brine, ginger biscuits... the sulphury notes seem to reign in the aftertaste. It's no easy-going, mass market whisky, instead you have to work your way through it. Expect the unexpected from this distillery! 57.8 Alc./Vol. Non chill filtered.

Notes from Springbank... Nose: Very fruity! Toffee apples, pears and strawberry chocolates in the background; salted popcorn kernels, mint leaves and honey. Taste: Salty and coastal, the fruitiness continues with raisins, chocolate orange and prunes. A dryness develops with demerara sugar and digestive biscuit. Finish: Drying BBQ spices; cayenne pepper and paprika followed by cinnamon sugar, oats, pecan nuts and the typical gentle Longrow smokiness. 57.8% Alc./Vol.

Other reviews... The most recent special bottling from Longrow – the peated single malt Scotch whisky brand of Springbank Distillers – 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! 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. 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! - barleymania.com