Longrow Red 11 Year Pinot Noir Cask Matured

Nose: (Neat) Beef steak marinated in red wine infused with juniper berries, gently broiled over an open fire. Red currants, cranberries, strawberries, and a faint hint of licorice. Oil of wintergreen in an old rusty pail, on a hay bale in a dilapidated barn, with dry-rot, mold, and manure in the background. Nose: (Watered) Softer with more red wine presence. The smoke is slightly reduced, but overall the nose gains unity and cohesion. With time, slight ashy notes emerge. An excellent nose. Palate: (Neat) Oily and spicy on entry, with fruity notes giving way to some sour peat as it develops, and a bit of dark chocolate. Dark plum jam and slightly sour blackberries. The texture is oily, sweet, but with occasional dry wood spice intrusions. There's a persistent salty note, but it's not quite maritime – more like brackish groundwater. Palate: (Watered) A revelation. All of the above combined with a mild smoky haze shimmering over a dry and musty maltiness. A smokiness almost reminiscent of cigar smoke. Finish: Medium/long: Spicy, briny oak, fading to a little pepper in the aftertaste. After a long while, the remaining presence is of smoked berries. The nose is initially reserved but becomes more expressive with time. Longrow never displays the heavy, brackish, in-your-face smoke of popular Islay whiskies. It is refined and balanced but authoritative. In some ways, it resembles Orkney's Highland Park more than anything from Islay, but where HP is all honeyed char, Longrow is musty farmyard fruit and barbecue. The nose on this Longrow is truly sublime in its balance and continues to evolve throughout the tasting. The palate is similarly complex, so much so that at times it's almost possible to forget this is a peated whisky. Not that the peat level is too low or understated, it's just that all the other components provide a perfect counterpoint to the smoke. Like the nose, the palate continues to evolve as you taste, particularly after adding a dash of water (which is highly recommended). It has a fascinating lingering quality, and a good while after you've finished the dram, you'll find yourself smacking your lips and thinking what a nice drink it was, as the faint traces of berry jam remain. There is always a compelling completeness to Longrow Red, and it's one of my favorite whiskies, being a spirit that pairs excellently with red wine finishes. I've collected almost all of the Longrow Red editions to date, and this 11-year-old Pinot Noir example is one of the most elegant and approachable expressions in the range – almost civilized, in fact! "Very Good": 87/100 (4.25 stars)

If I had known there were so few reviews, I would have tackled this one sooner. Nose - I'm getting the Springbank/Longrow, what I call BBQ peat. There seems to be, and follow me here, a bit of a wet blanket effect, which is masking some cherries that are starting to ferment. I detect a bit of vanilla oak. There's a sweet element here, almost like fluffed marshmallow and baked goods. It's truly evolving in the glass. That initial blanket impression has vanished, and the sweet notes are emerging, though those cherries remain quite distant and muted. Adding water brings out more sweet baked cookies and sugars. Taste - I've found with the Longrow Reds that they can be a bit too hot for me to review, though I enjoy them at full cask strength for casual sipping. The peat, oak, wine, salts, and other notes are just too difficult for me to discern individually. This is only 53.1% ABV, but it has a definite kick. It's also only 11 years old, so it's a bit young. With water, it reveals the classic Longrow characteristics: sea salt, Campbeltown peat, some spices, cookies, savory BBQ, and as I'm not a wine drinker, I'm struggling to identify the wine influence. I'm picking up some funky notes that I don't typically associate with Springbank/Longrow, which I attribute to the wine. It's not the most enjoyable aspect, but it does enhance the complexity and flavor transitions significantly. They aged this for 8 years in bourbon casks, then 3 years in wine casks. I believe an additional 2 years in bourbon would have greatly benefited this bottling. Nevertheless, it's still excellent work from a distillery that consistently produces great whisky. This is for whisky enthusiasts who appreciate bold, intense flavors, prefer higher proofs, and don't mind an alcohol kick. Personally, I could use more refinement, and I think a 13-year-old version of this could have perfectly balanced the intense Longrow Red character with greater refinement. But what do I know? I'm just a whisky drinker who would go into debt for a new Springbank release (only partially joking). I've actually done so based on three bottles from them this year...and I regret it every single day!

Following positive remarks on the new Ardbeg Blaaack, a friend mentioned his enjoyment of this other Pinot Noir cask peat bomb, a sample of which I recalled having. After tasting it, I can confirm it's a fitting comparison. Like the Ardbeg, this Longrow spirit benefits from a hint of jammy sweetness that's perfectly blended. The Longrow has a pleasant oily texture, but generally, I prefer Ardbeg's earthy peat to Longrow's more intense pepperiness, which is quite sharp on the conclusion here. Additionally, my sample of the Ardbeg had slightly more blackcurrant jam flavor than I detected in this one, making it a bit superior. Nevertheless, it stands out as one of the best Longrow Reds, further indicating that Pinot Noir complements peat well in red wine cask finishes.

Longrow Red 11-year Pinot Noir Nose: Sweet smoke and earthy peat. Pleasant wine and grape notes emerge at the back of the nose, with hints of vanilla and wood. It reminds me of the smell of mulch in springtime. Palate: Ash, peat, plum, aged, musty oak, and more mulch. It's surprisingly salty and wild. I detect notes of grapes, vanilla, cookies, and chocolate, but it's incredibly complex and intense. Finish: Long, woody, and funky, but not in a stale way – more of a rotten, earthy, mulchy way. It's strange but very enjoyable. Its uniqueness is astonishing.

Nose: Cream, shortbread, strawberry, slightly woody, sauna, core Longrow character, root beer BBQ sauce, becoming musty after a while. Body: Dry and soft. Palate: Peat puff, sweet, berries, damp, salty and funky yet zesty and refreshing. Finish: Woody, fiery, lingering.

Nose: Gentle smoke, sour berries, pine, resin. Palate: Cane sugar, unripe strawberry and raspberry, lingering peat. A lovely balance of sweet, sour, and smoke.