Here to close out the week, month and year in whisky reviews is a single cask of Longrow 21 bottled by Cadenhead. As they are a sister concern, I expect they’ve picked a good one. Well, the week’s other releases from Springbank (whose peated label Longrow is) have also been very good: both this single sherry cask of Hazelburn (Springbank’s unpeated line), and the new’ish blended malt, Campbeltown Loch. Will the oldest of the three be the best? I hope so: it’ll be good to end the year on a good note.

Longrow 21, 2001 (44.1%; Cadenhead; bourbon hogshead; from a bottle split)

Nose: Oh, this glorious Longrow nose! Mineral peat, brine, cracked coriander seed, lemon zest, a slight whiff of machine oil. The salt expands dramatically on the second sniff with the lemon coming up behind. Continues in this vein, picking up some sweetness as it goes. A few drops of water and the salt, peat and lemon are balanced on a knife edge, with just a bit of vanilla below.

Palate: Comes in as indicated by the nose with some sweetness as I swallow (wet pebbles). Perfect drinking strength; good texture. On subsequent sips the machine oil expands as does the lemon zest, and there’s some soot and cracked white pepper. Okay, let’s add a drop or two of water. Ah yes, more pepper and everything in perfect balance.

Finish: Long. No new development here but I’m not complaining. As on the palate with water at first and then there’s some milky cocoa at the end.

Comments: Just lovely whisky and a great one to end the year with. It’s not the most complex 21 yo and there isn’t much development but with a profile this great it would be greedy to ask for even more. Despite the low abv, I liked it even more with water.

Rating: 90 points.