Springbank Open Day 2025 & Longrow Open Day 2025

Springbank Open Day 2025

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 57.9%

Price: £35.00 (35cl)

This Springbank release was bottled for the 2025 Open Day after spending 10 years in bourbon and re-charred sherry casks. A total of 2,000 35cl bottles were made available.

Nose

The nose opens with toasted marshmallows, gentle peat smoke, rye crackers, torched sugar on top of a creme brûlée, and lots of musty, dunnage funkiness. Going back, there’s a breadiness, warm butter, orange blossom water, caramel slices, and hints of lemongrass, ash and fresh kitchen sponges (as unique as that aroma is). It’s punchy, not too alcoholic, but there’s lots of aromas jumping out the glass at us. 

Palate

The palate opens with foam bananas, ashy peat smoke, Aberdonian butteries, caster sugar, warm oak spice and freshly baked bread. There’s also some grilled lemon and whipped vanilla cream. It’s quite sweet, but juxtaposed with an earthiness that balances it out nicely. The alcohol is pretty well integrated, a little peppery, a little bit of ginger, but in good balance. Time and air brings out some milk chocolate and orange oils. The finish does linger for a good while, and ends up quite chewy in a good way. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has more creamy vanilla, warm bread, a little minerality, wet pebbles, a little peach skin too. There’s also lemon peel and some drier oak coming through. It’s still very pleasant but we preferred the nose without water. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate maintains an oily mouthfeel, and we’re getting more banana bread, toffee, earthy and ashy peat, and vanilla fondant. It’s still chewy, with toffee pennies and lots of caramel. The dram feels more toasty now, more cask influence for us. 

Conclusion

A solid festival release, young, punchy and full of flavour.. showcasing a lot of the Springbank distillery character alongside some good cask influence. The re-charred sherry casks aren’t too prominent, at least the sherry influence, it’s more bourbon-wood forward which we’re not complaining about.

Score: 8/10

Value

Long sold out and now going for more at auction, the market clearly sees this as a bargain.

Longrow Open Day 2025

Region: Campbeltown

ABV: 55.6%

Price: £35.00 (35cl)

This Longrow release was bottled for the 2025 Open Day, having spent 10 years in fresh Oloroso casks. A total of 2,000 35cl bottles were made available.

Nose

The nose opens with a little struck match, there’s a little bit of sulphur up front but it’s not too overpowering. Behind this we’re finding candied nuts, lots of sweet cinnamon, buckets of cherries and a little almond marzipan. The smoke is present but the sherry is taking over for us. The alcohol is quite well integrated, not too much spice coming through at all. There’s also a little blue cheese funk and shoe leather. 

Palate

The palate opens with a kick of cigarette smoke, lots of ash, along with smoked almonds, vanilla pods, smoked custard, sour plum and a little toffee sweetness too. The mouthfeel is great, lots of oils, and we’re even getting a little petrol coming through too. The alcohol is spicier than the nose let on, but the finish does linger for a long while with lots of ashy smoke. Time and air brings out some ground cinnamon and a bit of leather. 

Nose (with water)

The reduced nose has lots of stewed red fruits, cherries, raspberries, a little plum too. There’s still lots of smoke, it seems sweeter though, less ashy, more earthy. Maybe a little more astringent for people who dislike that. 

Palate (with water)

The reduced palate has a little more sweet and sour flavours, some balsamic, cherry juice, smoked vanilla cream with the ashy smoke riding through to the finish. The finish still lingers for a good length, perhaps some more peppery spice kicking around.

Conclusion

Peat and sherry, what more can you ask for? This dram delivers on both, with more sherry on the nose but more peat on the palate. It’s a tad warm but displays its youthfulness proudly. Quite tasty. 

Score: 7.5/10

Value

A good price for cask strength peat and sherry of that age from Campbeltown.

• 10 - Perfection. One in a million
• 9 - Outstanding. Exceptional whisky.
• 8 - Great. Would seek this out.
• 7 - Good. Quality whisky.
• 6 - Above average. Happy to have a dram.
• 5 - Average. Drinkable whisky.
• 4 - Below average. Passable.
• 3 - Flawed. Noticeable negatives.
• 2 - Defective. Significant faults.
• 1 - Offensive. Pour it out.

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