Professional reviews
Serge Valentin (94)
Remember Longrow used to be the name of an old Distillery in Campbeltown (1824-1896), way before Springbank decided to start making a peatier, double-distilled make and to name it 'Longrow'. Also remember peaters where in high demand at that time, while Islay was having difficulty supplying the amounts the blenders were asking for. 1973 was the first vintage of 'new Longrow' ever available and, in my book and together with 1974 and probably 1987, the best. Colour: light gold. Nose: how splendid! It all starts with some old Comté cheese, we then move towards candied citrus and spent engine oil, as well as many tiny cooking herbs and little-known berries, plus linseed oil. All you need to add is canvasses, turpentine and old oil paint and presto, you've got a Van Gogh or a Monet. Quite. Mouth: we're not that far from quasi-neighbours Ardbeg in similar vintages. Sublime petroly notes, oils, tar, also a much subtler saline, coastal side, with small oysters and various seashells. As often in old peaters, candied citrus are dancing a jig in the background, together with bits of putty and linoleum. Forget about wood, only time, in cask and in glass, can generate this. Finish: lovely length, while we're rather on great lemony and chalky white wines this time. Around Sancerre, for example. Comments: how the h*ll did they manage to produce such a perfect beauty right from the first vintage? And where did they put the recipe? Kudos to pioneers Moon Import too, and to il signor Mongiardino.
BOW (93)
In our humble opinion, this is a holy grail for the whisky enthusiast.
This is an old vintage bottle and the closure may have deteriorated; When opening care should be taken. The item is sold as described.
Angus McRaild (94)
Colour: pale gold. Nose: immediately stunning with this beautifully natural, organic and elegantly drying peat profile. A style which just does not exist outside very old Ardbegs, Laphroaigs, Highland Parks, and of course these 70s Longrows. Crystalline, slightly salty, deeply rooty, herbal and ever so slightly sweet peat smoke that incorporates ancient old medicines, liqueurs, salted honeys and natural tar extracts. A feeling of immense complexity and poetic beauty.
Mouth: immediate and stunning one again, but also surprising in the way that it dovetails slightly more towards some older style Laphroaig by involving quite vivid and plush green fruits and wee tropical fruit tea notes. Immensely complicated with wee notes of medicinal roots and herbs, fruit syrups, oily and fat phenolics, aged tar liqueurs and also hessians, waxes, beach pebbles and camphor. A huge amount of information being emitted from this stunning old Longrow. A whisky you need to be in tip top shape to keep up with!
Finish: outstandingly long and full of perfectly drying, peppery and organic, deep peat smoke! Tars, smoked teas and oils, a feeling of some ancient dry Riesling and also more industrial aspects like tool boxes and hessian cloth.
Comments: some kind of tone-poem to the ethereal beauty of peat as an ingredient in malt whisky. Seriously, the greatest whiskies ever bottled all not only contain, but need peat as an agent of their beauty. This is just sublime whisky!
