Longrow 1994

This official Longrow single malt, a 10 year old release from 1994 and bottled at 46%. Springbank is a Campbeltown distillery run by J and A Mitchell since 1828, one of the last working distilleries of old Campbeltown. It makes three malts: Springbank, the peated Longrow and the unpeated Hazelburn.

It was double distilled from heavily peated, floor malted barley, then condensed through worm tubs. Ex-Sherry wood suited the heavy make, adding a dried fruit richness. Younger here, it keeps a vigorous, briny freshness over the oily body. Sea air works into the warehouses, lending a saline thread as the whisky breathes. Demand far outstrips the small output, and bottles are keenly chased. Springbank, Longrow and Hazelburn each show a different face of the one distillery. The open larch washbacks are a rare survival in modern Scotch. The distillery has become a place of pilgrimage for whisky enthusiasts.

At an approachable 46% it is balanced. A coastal peat smoke with a briny depth are layered with dried fruit and a vanilla oak. A coastal salt and an orchard fruit lift it. A long, oily, coastal finish lingers. This is a smoky, maritime Campbeltown single malt.