A single cask of Longrow distilled in 1990 and bottled in 2008 at 18 years old, drawn from refill bourbon hogshead #178 for a private owner, Magnus Fagerström. With 237 bottles at 54.1% ABV, it shows peated Campbeltown spirit with no sherry or wine influence at all.
About This Whisky
The whisky came from one refill bourbon hogshead, number 178, set aside for a private owner and bottled in 2008 after 18 years. Refill wood gives less vanilla and colour than a first-fill cask, so the spirit's own character comes through clearly: smoke, citrus and a mineral, coastal edge. The cask yielded 237 bottles at 54.1% ABV.
Tasting Profile
- Nose: Peat smoke and lemon oil, with malt, damp stone and old oak spice.
- Palate: Dense and oily, with smoked barley, lemon zest, brine and a touch of dried fruit.
- Finish: Long, savoury and mineral, with smoke that stays.
Serving & Food
Nose it neat in a stemmed nosing glass, then try it with a little still water to take the edge off the strength. Keep the bottle cool rather than chilled. Pair with seared scallops, lemony grilled sardines or a salty aged Gouda.
How to Enjoy
Single-cask hunters and Springbank devotees who want to taste Longrow from refill wood, with nothing between them and the spirit.
Product Details
Distillery/Brand: Longrow / Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland
Vintage / Bottling: Distilled 1990, bottled 2008
Age: 18 years old
Cask / Edition: Private bottling for Magnus Fagerstrom, refill bourbon hogshead #178, outturn 237 bottles
Bottle size / Format: 700mL
ABV / Strength: 54.1% ABV
About the Distillery
Springbank belongs to J. & A. Mitchell & Co., a family firm whose link with the distillery goes back to 1837, when John and William Mitchell bought it from its founders, the Reid brothers. The same company owns Glengyle distillery and the independent bottler Cadenhead's. The Mitchells have ridden out lean years: Springbank closed in 1979 when the UK economy was weak and stayed quiet for most of the 1980s. Longrow went back into production late in that decade, so this 1990 hogshead belongs to the first years of the revival. Campbeltown once supported more than thirty distilleries, and Springbank's survival through these swings is a big reason the town still counts as a whisky region.