Longrow 10yo Open Day 2025

Longrow 10yo Open Day 2025

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber brown
55.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Winter melons, lemon zest, raisins, green tea, leather, lemon zest, pine needles, hints of germolene. With water, apricot jam, pine needles, lemon zest, germolene. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, expands, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sour. Lemon zest, raisins, fresh cut grass, green tea, apricot jam, germolene, peat, autumn leaves. With water, lemon zest, pine needles, autumn leaves, germolene. 
Finish: Long. Lemon zest, green tea, fresh cut grass, germolene. 

Comments: 

Herbal and autumnal, lots of forest flavours! There is citrus and apricot also, and it’s all wreathed with gentle peat. A very good dram indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 100 Proof 5yo

Springbank 100 Proof 5yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Golden 
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Apple juice, golden syrup, Demerara sugar, malted grains, nutmeg, leather, lemon zest, hints of vanilla. With water, lemon sweets, apple juice, golden syrup. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, cool. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Lohan fruit, white pepper, orange blossom, apple juice, golden syrup, autumn leaves, hints of leather. With water, lemon sweets, apple juice, leather, hints of petrol exhaust. 
Finish: Short. Autumn leaves, apple juice, lohan fruit, lemon zest, orange peel. 

Comments: 

Quite citrusy, drinkable despite the ABV. There’s the classic Springbank earthiness and petrol fumes, but it’s also sweet and fruity. Rather good as is normally the case with this distillery.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hazelburn 19yo Open Day 2025

Hazelburn 19yo Open Day 2025

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown
Brown bronze
49.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Winter melons, leather, malted grains, raisins, sandalwood, white grapes, hints of peaches. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, tingly, astringent, hot. 
Tasting:  Sour sweet. Leather, malted grains, raisins, honey, sandalwood, peaches, orange peel, hints of damson jam. 
Finish: Long. Menthol, orange peel, peaches, sandalwood, malted grains. 

Comments: 

Herbal and fruity, with a lip smacking note of old leather. No water here, it’s very drinkable. Excellent Hazelburn, it’s not easy to get this set.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (2025 Edition)

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (2025 Edition)

Official bottling

Single malt - Campbeltown 
Amber, hints of pink
55.9% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, honeydew melons, cinder toffee, acetone, nutmeg, hints of tyre rubber. With water, acetone, lemon zest, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, expands, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sour. Honeydew melons, cinder toffee, acetone, lemon zest, malted grains, kombucha, hints of diesel exhaust. With water, cinder toffee, lemon zest, nutmeg. 
Finish: Medium. Walnut skins, cinder toffee, toast, molasses, diesel exhaust, hints of lychees. 

Comments: 

Having a chance to drink Springbank these days feels like a rare gift. This one is fruity and has that characteristic diesel note. There’s plenty of bitterness, but mostly it’s estery and sour. A very interesting dram. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longrow 100 Proof

Longrow 100 Proof

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Bright gold
57.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, white grapes, yoghurt, orange peel, honey, smoke, white pepper, hints of cloves. With water, white pepper, orange peel, peat, malted grains. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. White grapes, white pepper, peat, smoke, autumn leaves, grapefruit, malted grains, hints of petrol exhaust. With water, white pepper, petrol exhaust, white grapes, peat. 
Finish: Long. Petrol exhaust, autumn leaves, white pepper, soot. 

Comments: 

Slightly lactic, but it’s got the characteristic motor exhaust note, and plenty of peat and soot. Water brings out more fruity and a peppery spiciness. I don’t always get to try a new whisky from Springbank distillery, quite pleased with this.

Verdict:

I like this.

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (2024 Edition)

Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (2024 Edition)

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Dark amber 
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, honey, petrol exhaust, winter melons, cream, Demerara sugar, hints of damson jam. With water, raisins, petrol exhaust, honey, winter melons. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, hot, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, farmyard, petrol exhaust, cream, Demerara sugar, soot, hints of winter melons. With water, petrol exhaust, damson jam, candle wax, honey. 
Finish: Long. Green tea, cream, Demerara sugar, damson jam, soot. 

Comments: 

A very nice Springbank, this - lots of petrol and smoke notes, even soot, and sweet tannins. Water brings out more smoke, some fruit, and on the tongue, even some wax. Delicious.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 17yo Madeira Cask

Springbank 17yo Madeira Cask

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Amber gold 
47.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, vanilla, smoke, raisins, charcoal ash, lanolin, hints of diesel exhaust. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, loosens, warm, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Vanilla, raisins, black tea, malted grains, diesel exhaust, winter melon, lanolin, hints of smoke. 
Finish: Long. Black tea, winter melon, raisins, honey, molasses. 

Comments: 

Long, sweet and complex, loads of layers and animal earthiness. Absolutely delicious, and really an example of what Springbank can be. Love this stuff.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longrow 10yo Virtual Open Day 2020

Longrow 10yo Virtual Open Day 2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Amber
53.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peanuts, red grapes, rubber bands, strawberry jam, raisins, petrichor, hints of smoke, hints of roast pork. With water, honey, camphor, raisins, Chinese angelica. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, loosens, cool, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Red grapes, raisins, orange peel, sea salt, petrichor, autumn leaves, toast, smoke, hints of charcoal ash. With water, Chinese angelica, camphor, raisins, orange peel. 
Finish: Long. Charcoal ash, smoke, autumn leaves, raisins, petrichor. 

Comments: 

Meaty and nutty, lots of herbal notes. There’s the typical Campbeltown earthiness, allied to smoke and ash. It’s a wonderful herbal concoction, reminds me of Chinese medicinal tonics I used to get fed as a child. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Hazelburn 18yo 2001/2020 Virtual Open Day 2020

Hazelburn 18yo 2001/2020 Virtual Open Day 2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown 
Silvery gold 
47.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Cream, yoghurt, white grapes, gooseberries, peaches, hints of apricot jam. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, tingly, loosens, slightly oily. 
Tasting:  Sour. Photocopy paper, apricot jam, rubber bands, peaches, petrichor, fresh cut grass, hints of yoghurt. 
Finish: Medium. Petrichor, fresh cut grass, autumn leaves, white grapes, hints of petrol exhaust. 

Comments: 

Lightly fruity, subtle with feinty and slightly sulphurous notes. A very delicate yet complex whisky. It rewards introspection, I spent a long time with this dram.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 26yo 1993/2020 Virtual Open Day 2020

Springbank 26yo 1993/2020 Virtual Open Day 2020

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown
Bright yellow gold
51.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Wet stones, autumn leaves, petrichor, lemon zest, honey, charcoal ash, hints of peanuts. With water, white grapes, white wine, hints of gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, astringent, hot, slightly syrupy. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Pears, honey, charcoal ash, autumn leaves, diesel exhaust, peanuts, hints of white wine. With water, charcoal ash, smoke, pears, white grapes. 
Finish: Long. Diesel exhaust, honey, charcoal ash, smoke, hints of strawberry laces. 

Comments: 

It’s been a while since I’ve had a Springbank. It’s smokier and ashier than I remember, but maybe this is a special one. Lots of white fruit swims underneath a veil of gritty ash. Unusual and potent.

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank 25yo (2019 Edition)

Springbank 25yo (2019 Edition)

Official bottling 
Single malt - Campbeltown
Light amber 
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Raisins, malted grains, petrol exhaust, petrichor, orange peel, leather, peat, hints of smoke. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, slippery, loosens slightly, mouth coating. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Leather, petrol exhaust, petrichor, orange peel, raisins, honey, smoke, hints of pineapples. 
Finish: Medium. Orange peel, raisins, honey, malted grains, hints of dark chocolate. 

Comments: 

They’ve begun putting edition numbers on Springbank now, because the funkiness seems to be eroding for some reason. Thankfully it’s all correct and present in this 25yo expression, even if it’s fading a little from the younger expressions. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Longrow 25yo 1994/2020

Longrow 25yo 1994/2020

Authentic Collection, WM Cadenhead
Single malt - Campbeltown
Dark gold 
52.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Winter melon, peat, menthol, tobacco leaf, iodine, hints of membrillo. With water, sweeter, greengages, candle wax, apples. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loosens, slightly astringent, slightly warm. 
Tasting:  Sweet salty. Peat, tobacco leaf, membrillo, sea salt, apples, hints of smoke, hints of green pepper. With water, tobacco leaf, candle wax, apples, membrillo. 
Finish: Long. Winter melon, membrillo, apples, sea salt, hints of green pepper.  

Comments: 

Lovely, lovely Longrow! I’ve had way too much Springbank in comparison to whiskies from other distilleries, but I couldn’t pass this one up. Lots of fruity notes alongside the peat and smoke, with some really interesting winter melon. 

Verdict:

I like this a lot. 

Springbank Local Barley 9yo (2018 Release)

Springbank Local Barley 9yo (2018 Release)

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Yellow gold
57.7% ABV
Dram

Nose: Petrol exhaust, clay, peanuts, melons, honey, white grapes, hints of condensed milk. With water, sweeter, mangoes, pineapples. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, hot, watery, airy. 
Tasting:  Bitter. Petrol exhaust, white grapes, peaches, condensed milk, clay, black tea. With water, sweeter, mangoes, pineapples, white grapes. 
Finish: Medium. Black tea, clay, honey, peaches. 

Comments: 

Springbank's Local Barley series is one of a very few expressions that really represents the distillery. You can't get more local than this, and it's quite characteristic of Springbank. This one has the earthy, petrol notes of Springbank, married to lots of tropical fruit. It's excellent with a touch of water.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Springbank 21yo 1993/2015

Springbank 21yo 1993/2015

Brothers' Reserve, Lockett Bros
Single malt - Campbeltown
Sunshine yellow
49.4% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, peanuts, lemon zest, almonds, honey, dried limes. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, static, warm, astringent. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. Leather, petrol exhaust, lemon juice, honey, lime zest, hints of pear drops. 
Finish: Medium. Lime zest, almonds, honey, pear drops. 

Comments: 

Indie Springbank, bottled by a whisky / wine shop in North Berwick. This is surprisingly lively, I tend to associate older Springbank with deeper flavours, less citrus, more red fruit. But this one retains the huge citrus notes, ethers, and the slightly burnt hydrocarbon sweetness that I associate with young Springbank.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Springbank 10yo Local Barley (2019 Release)

Springbank 10yo Local Barley (2019 Release)

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Dark gold
56.2% ABV
Dram

Nose: Leather, white grapes, cucumber, petrol exhaust, sandalwood, hints of winter melon. With water, white grapes, leather, lemon zest, hints of milk. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, thickens slightly syrupy, slightly sticky. 
Tasting:  Sweet sour. White grapes, cucumber, lemon zest, honeydew melon, Yakult, hints of sandalwood, hints of petrol exhaust. With water, sweeter, lemon zest, tobacco leaf, winter melon, sultanas, hints of milk. 
Finish: Long. Cucumber, white grapes, Yakult, hints of yoghurt. 

Comments: 

A legendary expresssion, cheap at the price, and of course sold out everywhere. No, I didn't get a bottle. But I got to try it anyway. It's not very Springbank, only a hint of that familiar petrol exhaust note, and almost none of that familiar farmyard note. Instead, it's floral, cool and fragrant, plenty of fruit and spice, and something very much like Yakult, that soured milk drink sold in Japan. Very good indeed.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Hazelburn R Marsala HHD 9yo Cask Sample

Hazelburn R Marsala HHD 9yo Cask Sample

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Dark gold
59.8% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, honey, sandalwood, raisins, sponge cake, hints of orange zest. With water, sandalwood, orange zest, hints of tobacco leaf. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, slippery, warm. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Sandalwood, honey, red grapes, jackfruit, pears, overripe peaches, hints of leather. With water, fresh baked bread, raisins, honey, lemon zest. 
Finish: Short. Black tea, leather, overripe peaches, fresh baked bread, hints of pears. 

Comments: 

Bottled 2007? At least, that's how I read the label. It's an odd sort of cask sample, no branding, just a white label with plenty of detail (like which barrel it was in which warehouse). Anyhow, it's not your usual Campbeltown, the wine finish has deepened the usual industrial funkiness into sandalwood and tobacco. Heaps of ripe stone fruit too.

Verdict:

I like this.

Hazelburn 14yo Oloroso Cask 2004/2019

Hazelburn 14yo Oloroso Cask 2004/2019

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber
49.3% ABV
Dram

Nose: Red grapes, red wine, stewed plums, cinnamon, sandalwood, hints of roses. 
Mouthfeel: Heavy body, slippery, thickens, tingly. 
Tasting: Bitter sweet. Peanuts, sandalwood, vanilla, lemon zest, stewed plums, red grapes. 
Finish: Long. Sandalwood, damsons, peanuts, roses, red grapes. 

Comments: 

Oloroso cask matured Hazelburn - not many greater pleasures in the whisky world greater than this! There's heaps of sweet sherry in here, and the Springbank spirit's wild funk has been triple distilled into a spicy, cinnamon flavour. Great citrusy notes alongside the red fruits on the nose.

Verdict:

I like this a lot.

Longrow 18yo

Longrow 18yo

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber red
46% ABV
Dram

Nose: Malted grains, peat, raisins, petrol exhaust, peanuts, lemons. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, slippery, cool, loose. 
Tasting:  Sweet. Mint, peanuts, petrol exhaust, raisins, chocolate, orange peel, hints of leather. 
Finish: Medium. Raisins, lemons, chocolate, peanuts, leather. 

Comments: 

Muscular stuff! There's a lot to unpack here - nutty spirit, citrusy notes, plenty of peat (but of course), and a strong heavy punch of Springbank's classic petrol notes. Lots of other notes too, bitter sweet chocolate, leather... very pleasant indeed.

Verdict:

I like this.

Longrow Red 11yo Pinot Noir Cask

Longrow Red 11yo Pinot Noir Cask

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Amber red
53.1% ABV
Dram

Nose: Peat, raisins, leather, red grapes, seaweed. 
Mouthfeel: Medium body, tingly, hot, loosens. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Raisins, peat, leather, red grapes, black tea, hints of peanuts. 
Finish: Long. Raisins, mint, leather, black tea, red grapes. 

Comments: 

A highly complex, leathery Longrow. The industrial funk of Springbank distillery has been softened and rounded by the wine aging, and there's plenty of sweet lovely things, married to a seaside vibe. Great stuff.

Verdict:

I like this.

Springbank 12yo 1989/2002 Rum Wood

Springbank 12yo 1989/2002 Rum Wood

Official bottling
Single malt - Campbeltown
Chinese tea
54.6% ABV
Dram

Nose: Petrol, leather, lemon zest, sea salt, gooseberries. 
Mouthfeel: Light body, loose, airy, slippery, volatile. 
Tasting:  Bitter sweet. Petrol, ginseng, leather, orange peel, black tea. 
Finish: Long. Orange peel, honey, leather, black tea, hints of petrol. 

Comments: 

A classic, if sweet, Springbank. There's a very obvious industrial funkiness about this whisky, almost redolent of engine exhaust, but it's covered well with fruit peel and honey. Highly enjoyable, and quite rare these days.

Verdict:

I like this.