I really scratched my Springbank itch over the last several posts, but this will be the final in a flurry of Springbank reviews. Today we’ll be examining the new Longrow 100 Proof, which succeeds the Longrow Red series.
The new Longrow 100 Proof is some 6 years old and initially matured in refill ex-bourbon casks, but was then finished for 2 years in refill pinot noir casks. It’s certainly not a clean break from the Longrow Red range, which was characterised by maturation in red wine casks, a practice with far from a 100% approval rating.
The Longrow Red releases had both fans and haters. I wouldn’t count myself amongst either camp, but I’ve tried a few that I really liked, even though I generally don’t seek out wine matured single malts. I certainly tend to agree with Longrow in general, so there’s no good reason why the new Longrow 100 Proof shouldn’t suit me.
And yet there’s a healthy skepticism.
Longrow 100 Proof (57.1%, OB, 2025)
Nose: A combination of malty notes, barley husks and smoked peanut skins with burnt toast, smoked raspberries and blackcurrant. There’s a hint of antiseptic as well, accompanied by burlap and just a tinge of cordite.
Taste: Charred meat, a hint of spent matches and cherry liqueur, as well as cured meats and black pepper. Touches of redcurrants and fresh rubber, as well as streaky bacon, wood smoke and smoke paprika powder.
Finish: Medium to long. More pepper, decent salinity and definitely more rubber.
Photo: Whiskybase
