Longrow 7 Years Old 2000 Gaja Barolo (55.8%, OB, 12120 Bottles, 2008)

• ABV: 55.8%
• Age: 7 Years Old
• Bottling: OB
• Category: Campbeltown single malt scotch whisky
• Cost: £sold out
• Origin: Springbank distillery
• Vintage: 2000

What they say

Distilled October 2000, this spent 5 & 1/2 years in refill bourbon before finishing for 18 months in ex Gaja Barolo casks and bottling in January 2008. This batch produced 12120 bottles at 55.8% ABV.

What I say

The start of a quartet of Longrow expression sampled as a little vertical. The youngest is this 7 year old, distilled in 2000 and matured in refill bourbon before finishing for 18 months in Gaja Barolo Italian red wine casks. Gaja vineyard is in the Piedmonte region of Italy which traditionally produced Barbaresco and Barolo wines and more recently deversified into Super-Tuscan production.

My tasting notes:

• Appearance:  Blood orange gold (12/20), numerous, oily, medium tears and fine legs.
• Nose: Sweet, musty and dusty, peat smoke, polished berries, strawberry, candyfloss, smoked icing sugar, becomes tarry but remains fruity, bramble, damson, jam, elderberry cordial, smoked scallop meat, an absolutely beautiful nose.
• Taste: Full bodied, oily and silky initially on the palate, red grape, peat smoke, sugary with red fruits, plum, damson, bramble, again jam-like, alcohol builds, earthy/turfy peat, tannic oak wood, cherries black and red, chewy tobacco leaf, herbal and woody, delicious.
• Finish: Long, chalky peat, mouth coating, soft smoked red fruits.

Overall

A superb expression, perhaps a touch spirity/alcoholic which belies its youth but a complete absence of spice means this mixture of smoke and red fruits is an absolute winner for me.

Score 89/100

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