Following yesterday review, It’s time to cross off yet another distillery from the my personal unpublished distilleries list – Springbank. But instead of reviewing a ‘straight’ Springbank whisky (that will happen too eventually,  we’ll go for their muscular young brother – the Peated Longrow brand and the Longrow RED 11yo whisky.

It was matured in Bourbon casks for 7 years and then moved to Cabernet Sauvignon Hogsheads for another 4 years for a total of 11 years.

Aren’t you curious to see how the red wine impact meshed here with the peat?

Longrow RED 11yo (52.1%, Cabernet Sauvignon, 9000 bottles, € 69,95)

Nose: Clean and lots of red wine sweetness with very fresh peat. Initially it felt more sherry impact than wine as there were some heavenly sweet plums, grapes and nutmeg.

Palate: Peat, dark berries, chimney smoke, sweet wine, oak, nutmeg, cinnamon.

Finish: medium long finish with lots of peat, sweet cinnamon and oak.

Conclusion: Lovely stuff of peat and wine cask impact as it’s working well together. As I have tasted it 2 years apart when it was opened and now when it was finished, I can tell you that the peat impact was diminished and more civilized on the 2nd taste but at both times it was a good dram even if not an outstanding one.