Longrow is the heavily peated whisky made at Springbank in Campbeltown, and it exists to do something the standard Springbank bottling deliberately does not. Springbank runs a partial two and a half times distillation and sits at a modest eight to fifteen parts per million of phenol. Longrow takes the malt and dries it over a peat fire for a full forty eight hours, reaching somewhere around fifty to fifty five parts per million, then distils it just twice, which leaves far more of the heavy, characterful compounds in the spirit. The name comes from a lost Campbeltown distillery founded by John Ross in 1824 that closed in 1896, and Springbank revived it as a style in 1973 to make something closer to what Campbeltown produced in its Victorian heyday, when the town was genuinely the whisky capital of the world and supported dozens of working distilleries. Three remain. What makes Springbank unusual is that they still do every step on site, including floor malting their own barley, which almost no distillery in Scotland can claim. Longrow accounts for roughly ten percent of their total annual output. The whisky is bottled at 46 percent alcohol by volume, non chill filtered and with no added colouring, which is house policy across everything Springbank makes rather than a marketing position. Expect chimney soot, salt water and driftwood on the nose, then salted lemon, olive brine, butter and passion fruit across an oily palate, closing long on mineral smoke. Campbeltown funk rather than Islay medicine. Neat, with a drop of water if you want.
ABV / Proof
| ABV |
46% |
| Proof |
92 |
| Size |
750ml |
| Country |
Scotland |
| Region |
Campbeltown |
| Distillery |
Springbank Distillery, Campbeltown |
| Producer |
J & A Mitchell & Co. Ltd. |
| Category |
Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky |
| Expression |
Longrow Peated |
| Mashbill |
100% Malted Barley, heavily peated |
| Peat Level |
Approximately 50 to 55 ppm, malt dried 48 hours over peat |
| Distillation |
Double distilled |
| Maturation |
Ex bourbon casks; sherry casks also reported |
| Filtration |
Non chill filtered |
| Colour |
No added colouring |
| Production |
Distilled, matured and bottled on site at Springbank |
Tasting Notes
Color: Light golden, entirely natural.
Nose: Chimney soot, salt water and driftwood, with maritime smoke and a Campbeltown mustiness underneath.
Palate: Oily and mineral. Salted lemon, olive brine and butter give way to passion fruit and tropical sweetness, with fudgy peat and charred oak behind.
Finish: Long and smoky, drying, with honeyed vanilla and lingering coastal salinity.
FAQ
Q: How does Longrow differ from Springbank?
A: Longrow is heavily peated at around fifty to fifty five parts per million and double distilled. Standard Springbank is lightly peated at eight to fifteen parts per million and distilled two and a half times.
Q: Is this an Islay whisky?
A: No. It is from Campbeltown, a separate protected whisky region on the Kintyre peninsula with only three working distilleries remaining.
Q: Does it carry an age statement?
A: No. Longrow Peated is the no age statement expression in the range, alongside Longrow Red and the 18 Year Old.
Q: Is it chill filtered or coloured?
A: Neither. Every Springbank bottling is non chill filtered and free from added colouring, and bottled on site at 46 percent unless otherwise stated.
Q: Why is it hard to find?
A: Springbank produces around 175,000 litres a year in total and Longrow is roughly ten percent of that, so availability is intermittent.
Q: Where can I buy Longrow Peated online?
A: Available here at Liquor On Broadway while stock lasts, with fast insured shipping nationwide.
