Longrow Peated Single Malt Scotch Whisky Pinot Noir Cask Matured 114 Proof 750ml

Campbeltown was once the whisky capital of the world. At the height of its power in the late 19th century, over 30 distilleries operated within this small coastal peninsula at the southern tip of the Kintyre peninsula — a remote, wind-battered harbor town whose combination of abundant peat, local barley, and proximity to Atlantic shipping routes made it the natural center of Scottish spirits production. Today only three distilleries survive: Springbank, Glen Scotia, and Glengyle. All three are operated by the Mitchell family. And at Springbank — the only distillery in Scotland that malts, distils, matures, and bottles all of its whisky entirely on-site — one of the most historically significant and most philosophically distinctive production programs in Scotch whisky produces three entirely different single malts from the same stills: the lightly peated, triple-distilled Springbank; the unpeated, twice-distilled Hazelburn; and the heavily peated, twice-distilled Longrow.

Longrow is named for a long-demolished Campbeltown distillery that operated in the 19th century — a ghost of the town's vanished whisky heritage, recalled to life by Springbank's commitment to preserving every dimension of Campbeltown's distilling tradition. First distilled in 1973, it is peated to 50 PPM — a peat level that places it firmly in the heavily peated category alongside Islay's most celebrated expressions — but produces a distinctly different style of smokiness. Where Islay peat is coastal, briny, and medicinal in the manner of iodine and sea spray, Campbeltown peat is earthier, mustier, and more agricultural — a rougher, more rurally rooted smoke that is complemented by the maritime character of a town surrounded by water on three sides.

The 114 Proof expression takes the standard Longrow Peated profile and removes the safety net of dilution: bottled at 57% ABV without chill filtration, every compound the refill bourbon and refill Pinot Noir cask maturation has deposited in the spirit arrives in the glass with full, unmediated intensity. Medicinal TCP and peat smoke on the nose. Redcurrants and citrus from the Pinot Noir casks threading through the smoke. Crème brûlée, vanilla, and almonds softening the palate. A long, warming, smoke-laden finish. The Campbeltown maritime character threading through everything. This is Longrow at its most honest and most powerful — and for the serious peated whisky enthusiast, there is nothing quite like it.

Origins & Craftsmanship

Springbank Distillery was founded in 1828 by brothers William and John Mitchell on the site of an illicit still operated by their father Archibald — making it one of the oldest continuously family-owned distilleries in Scotland and one of the last remaining independent family operations in the industry. The Mitchell family has maintained unbroken ownership for nearly two centuries, resisting the consolidation pressures that absorbed most Scottish distilleries into corporate portfolios throughout the 20th century. That independence has allowed Springbank to make decisions that no corporate distillery could justify on commercial grounds — including the expensive, labor-intensive commitment to complete on-site production from malting floor to bottling hall.

Longrow is produced using the same barley, the same stills, and the same water as Springbank — but with a fundamentally different production specification. The malt is dried over peat fires for up to 48 hours, achieving a peating level of approximately 50 PPM — compared to Springbank's own lightly peated malt. The heavily peated wash is then double-distilled rather than triple-distilled, producing a new-make spirit of greater weight, body, and smoky intensity than Springbank's more delicate, triple-distilled character. The combination of heavy peat and double distillation produces the Longrow house style: powerful, oily, richly smoky, and maritime in a way that is distinctly Campbeltown rather than Islay.

The 114 Proof Batch 1 matures through a two-stage cask program: nearly four years in refill bourbon barrels — building the vanilla, toffee, and citrus framework that gives the smoke its footing — followed by over two years in refill Pinot Noir casks, whose subtle red wine character introduces the redcurrant, dark fruit, and creme brulee notes that distinguish this cask strength expression from standard Longrow Peated at 46%. The use of refill casks throughout — rather than first-fill — is a deliberate choice that allows the whisky's natural peated character to remain the dominant voice rather than being shaped by aggressive new wood extraction. Non-chill filtered and bottled at 57% ABV — 114 proof — without artificial coloring. A natural haze may appear when cold, dissipating at room temperature.

Critics Reviews

World Whiskies Awards 2013 — Gold Medal, Best Campbeltown Single Malt (Longrow Peated — confirming the house style's standing at the pinnacle of the category.)

There are no widely published numeric scores from Wine Spectator, Wine Advocate, or Whisky Advocate available for the 114 Proof Batch 1 specifically at this time. Longrow is consistently recognized by whisky specialists, independent reviewers, and the dedicated collector community as one of the most distinctive and most rewarding heavily peated single malts produced in Scotland — uniquely positioned between Islay's briny intensity and Speyside's fruit-forward elegance.

Tasting Profile

Nose Bold, immediate, and unmistakably peated — the 50 PPM malt announcing itself from the moment the glass approaches. Medicinal peat smoke leads with the TCP note that is Longrow's most immediately distinctive aromatic characteristic — antiseptic, slightly phenolic, and deeply satisfying for anyone who loves the medicinal register of heavily peated Scotch. But Longrow's smoke is earthier than Islay's: mustier, more agricultural, more reminiscent of a peat bog on a rainy November day than the coastal brine of Laphroaig or Ardbeg. Redcurrants and citrus zest emerge from the Pinot Noir cask influence — bright, vivid, and genuinely surprising alongside the medicinal smoke, adding a fruit dimension that softens and complements rather than competing with the peat. Subtle vanilla and soft bourbon-barrel sweetness thread beneath the smoke and fruit from the refill bourbon cask maturation. A maritime quality — salt, sea air, and the dampness of Campbeltown harbor — runs through the whole. The 57% ABV concentrates everything without introducing sharpness on the nose.

Palate Softer on entry than the nose's intensity suggests — the refill cask program's gentle extraction producing a mouthfeel that is smooth and oily rather than harsh at full proof. The peat smoke transforms on the palate from the medicinal TCP of the nose into something earthier and mustier — campfire, wet peat, and charred oak arriving together in a wave of rich, smoky complexity. The Pinot Noir cask's contribution is most apparent here: crème brûlée sweetness and almond arrive mid-palate alongside the earthier smoke, with a dark fruit dimension — redcurrant, dark cherry — threading through the center. Toffee and vanilla from the bourbon cask maturation soften the mid-palate into something creamy and approachable despite the 114 proof intensity. The oily, full-bodied mouthfeel — characteristic of Longrow's double distillation and non-chill filtration — coats the palate with a richness that carries every flavor note clearly and distinctly.

Finish Long, warming, and smoke-dominated. The peat leads the close with unwavering persistence — campfire smoke and charred oak fading gradually alongside a touch of oak spice and a final gentle sweetness from the Pinot Noir casks. A subtle maritime brininess arrives at the very end — the Campbeltown coastal character making its final appearance before the whole experience resolves into a warm, lingering, quietly satisfying close. The finish is exactly what 50 PPM double-distilled Campbeltown single malt at 114 proof should feel like: powerful, sustained, and deeply honest.

Quick Overview

Serving & Occasion

Best enjoyed neat with a few drops of still water — at 57% ABV, water is not optional but genuinely recommended, unlocking additional layers of fruit, vanilla, and maritime character that the full proof suppresses. Start with two to three drops and add more to taste — the transformation as water is added is one of the most revealing experiences in Scotch whisky. A few minutes of air in the glass before the first sip allows the medicinal nose to open and the earthier, mustier smoke to develop into its fuller expression. A single large ice cube will dramatically mute the smoke and is not recommended for anyone who wants to experience the full Longrow character. Outstanding alongside smoked salmon, aged cheddar, dark chocolate, smoked meats, and oysters — the maritime character of Campbeltown peat finds its natural food counterpart in anything from the sea. An exceptional gifting bottle for the serious peated whisky enthusiast who has explored Islay thoroughly and wants to discover what Campbeltown's surviving distillery does with the same PPM level and an entirely different tradition.

Cocktail Suggestions

At 57% ABV with 50 PPM peat and six years across two cask types, Longrow 114 Proof is primarily a premium contemplative sipper that rewards undivided attention rather than a cocktail base. For those who appreciate smoke in their cocktails:

Penicillin (the natural home for heavily peated Scotch) 2 oz blended Scotch · ¾ oz fresh lemon juice · ¾ oz honey-ginger syrup · ¼ oz Longrow 114 Proof floated on top. Shaken over ice, served in a rocks glass, with the Longrow floated last. Sam Ross's modern classic was invented specifically for heavily peated Scotch as a float — the medicinal TCP and earthy smoke of the Longrow arriving on the nose with every sip while the blended Scotch base provides the cocktail's body and structure. One of the most successful peated whisky cocktail applications available.

Smoky Rob Roy 2 oz Longrow 114 Proof · 1 oz sweet vermouth · 2 dashes Angostura bitters · expressed orange peel. Stirred over ice, served up. The Rob Roy — Scotland's Manhattan — is one of the few cocktail formats where the Longrow's full intensity is genuinely appropriate: vermouth's botanical sweetness cuts through the peat smoke and the redcurrant fruit from the Pinot Noir casks bridges vermouth's own berry character in a deeply satisfying combination.