Longrow Red 11 Year Pinot Noir Review

Distilled & Bottled by Springbank

Region: Campbeltown

Type: Single Malt

ABV: 53.1%

Age: 11yr

Color: Copper

Released in 2019, this Longrow Red spent 8 years maturing in ex-bourbon casks before being finished for 3 years in Pinot Noir barriques. It is bottled at cask strength without chill filtration or added coloring.

Tasting Notes

Nose: This starts with earthy notes of grass & damp soil. The Pinot finish gives me strawberry candy, salted taffy and mint tea. Notes of toasted barley mingle with burnt match stick.

Palate: Rich and creamy on the palate, I find more strawberry sweetness from the wine finish as well as some hints of milk chocolate and syrupy sweetness.

Finish: There is good length to the finish with a distinct, rotting vegetal note. I get lots of oak and campfire smoke that pushes the dram to a dry finish that overpowers the wine influence in the end.

Rating: 6/10

Conclusion: This is a solid whisky, the Pinot Noir casks give the nose and palate a sweet, strawberry note. The mouthfeel is also impacted by the finishing casks in both its weight and richness. The finish is somewhat jarring and lacked the pleasant wine influence that worked so well on the nose and palate. It is still a good whisky as the wine cask certainly adds some nice character to the nose and palate.