Cadenhead’s Longrow 14yo
Independent Bottling| 54.5% ABV
Score: 7/10
Very Good Indeed.
TL;DR
Wood versus distillate delivers a memorable surprise.
Erase And Rewind
Longrow is the biggest and boldest of the Campbeltown distillates. A creation that demands respect and has enthusiasts reeling from the opening blow and until the knockout delivery. The most intensive of the Springbank creations; a labour of love for the men and women who are involved at each stage of its development.
A big opening fanfare for a rather big whisky. However, it is safe to say that Longrow isn’t my pick of the bunch, and at times, is one I’ll skip rather than pursue, in favour of Hazelburn or Springbank. Some bottlings just haven’t worked for me personally and the Red series really is a rollercoaster with a mixed sense of thrill, disappointment and disbelief, wrapped up in a bottle that occasionally doesn’t justify its price tag.
As far as distillates go, you know that the Longrow is one that can stand up to most cask types and still come out on top, but what about an encounter with sauternes? This type of cask is the decompression chamber of scotch whisky. For years, the Scotch Malt Whisky Society used it to smother whiskies that failed to pass their tasting panel by rolling it into a Sauternes for 6 months or so. The after effects were dramatic. Tired whiskies, or those with imperfections, were given a sickly-sweet glossy coating. The stark reality of commercialism? It became a running joke amongst those who noticed it and was confirmed as practice by an ex-member of staff. The point being, how effective the cask was in scrubbing any resemblance of what went before it. My take from that period is to consider the finish and if it truly makes sense.
So, what would happen when the erase and rewind cask type met the thuggish distillate from Campbeltown? Thankfully, we have our answer in this release from Cadenhead’s that hit the shelves last month before promptly selling out. Okay, I’ll admit in most cases, it never even reached a shelf and even now, most bottles are likely locked away for a rainy day in whisky storage facilities across the country.
Longrow is the recreation homage to a bygone Campbeltown distillery; a former neighbour of Springbank. Today, all that remains is a former warehouse that is used by the Springbank and Cadenhead’s family to bottle their releases. It was revived in 1973 in liquid form as a homage to what once was. A tremendous vintage if you are fortunate to try it, but it never really gained traction and was seen as an oddity. A more recent attempt of reviving the Longrow style has stuck and is receiving growing appreciation in modern times. That’s what we have today and there is a nice symmetry with this cask being bottled in the former building of its inspiration.
“In 1886 and Longrow was acquired by William and James Greenlees the following year. However, they must have found it a difficult business proposition. It was encircled by other buildings, access was difficult and it was an old-fashioned and under-equipped place. Expansion and modernisation were both out of the question, so it was shut down in 1896, only the second distillery to close in the burgh in almost 40 years.”
What has really hit home to me in these past couple of years is the quality of the blending coming out of Springbank. You can have all these great individual casks or some that are variable at best, but how do you bring these together? To meet standards and remain faithful to the style of whisky that many expect? A dud or wacky cask could throw the whole thing out of the window. The Longrow 18s and 21s in recent times have been sublime. Massive whiskies with a real sense of depth and joy. Yet this Longrow isn’t an official release and has been kindly rolled down the corridor to stable mates at Cadenhead’s.
The general rule is that Cadenhead’s are given at least a cask or two of each distillate to bottle annually. Perhaps a token offering – after all who doesn’t want to see more single casks from Springbank? There is logic in this approach as there are some unique as well as a divisive casks that might not sit well as, or within an official release. Casks of distinction that deserve to be bottled on their own merits, or just something odd that can be placed into the capable hands of Cadenhead’s.
I expect we have a little of both dynamics in this release, on paper at least. Normally this isn’t a bottling that I would gravitate towards or even consider purchasing. After all, the wood type is off-putting and the force of Longrow means this is either going to be a car crash or something memorable. But those recent 18s and 21s have prompted me to rethink all things Longrow. It's worth highlighting that this is full maturation as well, which isn’t to be sniffed at or underestimated. Distilled in November 2007, this spent 14 years in Sauternes before being bottled at 54.5%. The total outturn was 246 bottles and the recommended price was £85. So, there are no punches pulled with both considerable forces going head-to-head; wood versus distillate, who wins?
Review
Distilled in 2007, bottled in 2022, 54.5% ABV
£85 originally and no longer available
Not just about the wood
Nose
Apricots, stem ginger, treacle loaf and orange rind. It’s not overly sweet or dripping in madeira, thankfully. Some tobacco, marzipan and floral. Pink peppercorns and some earthiness that never breaks through, but helps balance things out. Brown sugar moving into toffee, red liquorice and in the mix, there is a hint of scorched rubber – like the final lap of a Scalextric race. Fruit loaf, freshly spun candy floss and a decaying autumnal pile of garden waste.
Palate
Much better than expected as I was fearing some citrus mixed with bonfire. Instead, this is more balanced and leisurely. Red apples and more pink peppercorns and the rubber is very faint now and part of the foundations with that peat vibe. On the finish a touch of tobacco mixed with Red Kola cubes. I’m also reminded of Irn Bru, which makes this the greatest dram of 2022. A little drying in places but that adds to its charisma and a twist of lemon cuts through everything with cherry menthol.
The Dregs
I’m surprised how well this actually performs, my preconceptions weren’t entirely favourable. It does benefit from airing and a patient approach. This softens the grip of sauternes and allows a more meaningful conversation from both sides. The sweetness never becomes over stated and the peat counteracts any thoughts the wood has of stealing the show. It might not have lasted much longer with this sense of balance and drama, but it has been bottled in the nick of time.
The divisive qualities are present and I can see it dividing a room more than most releases. But isn’t that what the single cask format should be about? Delivering whiskies with a certain charisma and soul that is lacking in so many other bottlings nowadays. That’s my idea of funk, Campbeltown or otherwise, and this Longrow has a swagger of its own making.
Score: 7/10
Tried this? Share your thoughts in the comments below. DM
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