Longrow 15 Year Single Cask Chardonnay Cask

Aroma: Subtle grape, salt, vanilla, oak, and an earthy putty scent. Taste: Sweet yet light, with delicate fruitiness, saltiness, and peat. It's refined and reserved rather than austere, with hints of slight sourness. This is complex and polished, yet retains boldness due to the 55% ABV. This displays the classic Longrow profile with its robust, funky, salty, unrefined, and aggressive barley character. The 15-year aging adds refinement compared to the brand's typical offerings of 12 years or less (excluding the 18-year which is 46% ABV). The 9-year finishing in Chardonnay casks provides an extra layer of complexity and truly refined notes. While I'm not an avid wine drinker and only know Chardonnay as a white wine, it complements the Longrow character beautifully. The 6 years in bourbon casks likely contributed a nice vanilla note, forming a base that allows the Chardonnay's fruity nature to come through without being overly sour or drying. I am actively seeking out future Springbank products finished in white wine casks, as this has been a highly successful experiment. I acquired this in a trade for a local barley 10-year-old. Many people have managed to obtain this bottling, and with 330 bottles, it's a substantial single cask release from Springbank. I feel a bit bold giving this 4 stars, but it might be my favorite Longrow. I'm not committing to that permanently or claiming it's my highest Longrow score (I haven't checked), but this one seems to edge out the others for my top spot.

Tasted a similar spirit straight from the cask, obtained from a Cadenhead warehouse during an online tasting group. Fantastic stuff. Smell: Pineapple, Mango, Smoke, Peat, Coal, Gas, Caramel, Dark Chocolate, Orange, Cherry, Apricot, Passion Fruit, Key Limes, Peaches, White Chocolate, Dates, Vanilla, Cotton Candy Taste: Vanilla, Caramel, Smoke, Peat, Banana, Pineapple, Papaya, Mango, Coal, Citrus, Passion Fruit, Apricot, Salt Aftertaste: Mango, Pineapple, Coal, Oak, Salted Chocolate, Beef, Orange, Passion Fruit, Apricot