Springbank Longrow 2010

An official Longrow single malt, a 14 year old Campbeltown malt from 2010 and bottled at 40%. Just 96 bottles were filled. The Springbank distillery, in Mitchell family hands since 1828, is a cult Campbeltown distillery with a devoted following. Little has changed in the way the spirit is made for the best part of a century.

The make was given Longrow's double distillation of heavily peated barley, and worm tub cooled in the old way. A refill American oak cask held it, keeping the distillery character to the fore. By this age the maritime weight rounds into a richer, fuller malt. The cool, damp Campbeltown air by the sea gives a slow, even maturation. 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 easy 40% it is gentle. Smoke, tar and an oily maritime depth ride on creamy vanilla and oak sweetness. The mouthfeel is oily, the fruit carried on a salty body. A long finish smoulders on salt and oil. This is Longrow, the heavily peated Campbeltown malt.