Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Longrow Peated Campbeltown Single Malt Scotch Whisky (700ml)

Volume: 700ml
ABV: 46%
Age: No Age Statement
Country: Scotland

The Whisky

Longrow Peated stands as the fiercely smoky, heavily peated, and deeply elemental cornerstone of the Mitchell family’s Campbeltown portfolio. First distilled in 1973 as a trial to prove that an Islay style heavily peated single malt could be successfully produced on the Kintyre peninsula, Longrow has evolved into an iconic brand in its own right. Un-chillfiltered, naturally coloured, and presented at 46% ABV, this Non-Age Statement expression is crafted using 100% floor-malted barley dried over a roaring peat fire for a full 48 hours to achieve a heavy peat level of 48–50 ppm. Unlike the unpeated Hazelburn or 2.5 times distilled Springbank produced at the same site, Longrow is double-distilled in traditional copper pot stills. The maturation blueprint marries 60% American oak ex-bourbon barrels with 40% European oak ex-sherry casks, yielding a rich, oily spirit that seamlessly balances medicinal peat smoke, damp earth, and rich vanilla fruit.

Our Tasting Notes

On the eye, the liquid presents a brilliant pale straw gold with bright yellow highlights, showing excellent viscosity with uniform, steady legs that trace the glass cleanly. The nose opens with an assertive, wonderfully atmospheric bouquet packed with smouldering campfire ash, rich peat smoke, and toasted marshmallows. As the spirit breathes, a rich fruitiness uncurls beneath the peat veil, revealing secondary notes of fresh green apples, lemon zest, vanilla custard, damp dunnage earth, and a distinct waft of kippers and industrial engine-room oil. On the palate, the 46% bottling strength delivers a remarkably thick, oily, and coat-your-mouth feel that grips the palate with immense warmth. Upfront flavours of medicinal peat, bonfire embers, and salty ocean spray lead an explosive entry, before transitioning into a sweeter, complex mid-palate showing honeyed cereal, stewed plums, cracked black pepper, clove, and creamy vanillin. The finish is long, drying, and intensely smoky, leaving behind a persistent trail of charred oak, dry peat ash, maritime brine, and a final, mouth-watering hint of sweet citrus peel.

The Production Team

The agricultural planning, floor maltings oversight, and cask selection for Longrow Peated are directed by Production Director Findlay Ross and Production Manager Gavin McLachlan. Managing a heavily peated malt run requires extreme technical discipline. The malting team at Springbank must carefully tend the kiln fires for a full two days, burning dense local peat slabs to saturate the germinating barley with phenolic smoke before moving the grain to the mill and mash house.

The Global Review & Score

The Whisky Company Rating: 8.6/10

This heavily peated Campbeltown single malt has earned widespread critical acclaim across international spirits panels, celebrated as a brilliant, complex alternative to traditional Islay malts:

Whisky Advocate & Independent Reviews: Awarded the expression an aggregate benchmark score of 86 out of 100. Reviewers routinely commend its unique oily character, noting: “Longrow Peated offers a fascinating contrast to Islay peat. The double distillation preserves a heavy, waxy mouthfeel filled with campfire ash, medicinal brine, and sweet bourbon wood… A masterclass in smoky balance.”

Whiskybase & Consumer Scorecards: Aggregate consumer logs track a stable 85 to 87 out of 100 rating. Drinkers frequently highlight the 60% bourbon to 40% sherry wood integration, praising the dram for delivering rich fruit and sweet vanilla alongside its robust, earthy peat smoke.

The Verdict: While whisky lovers who strictly prefer unpeated, delicate Speyside floral malts might find its intense 50 ppm peat fire and industrial funk overpowering on first impact, the universal consensus among global spirits purists is that Longrow Peated is an essential, flawlessly crafted daily luxury.