Longrow 8 yo 1987 / 1995 Signatory #136-138 vs Longrow 1987 / 2005 Samaroli #113

One might say 1987 was a good year for Longrow, and one might be accused of stating the obvious.

Longrow 8 yo 1987 / 1995 Signatory #136-138 43%

 Nose: How very exact a mix of oily peat, woodsmoke, lemons, brine, and a tiny touch of ripe earth just so. Great combination with great balance of composition. Relatively clean as peated whisky goes, which makes me think (is it just me?) of the similarities with a 2000s Ledaig? A bit of menthol rub, a bit of washed up seaweed. Completely straightforward, only downside is it’s a tad simple.

 Palate: Saltwater, lemons, white smoke, moderate peat buzz. Growing hot sand and seaweed. Algae or chlorophyll even. Peated Malt. Some oiliness in the peat, but moves onward to the finish rather quickly.

 Finish: The finish manages to maintain itself. Lemon and smoke, and something like an oil made from white flowers. Fairly good but not the best 87 Longrow.

Longrow 1987 / 2005 Samaroli #113 45%

 Nose: Very similar but this one is so much denser, so much more compact, and it feels weightier with more thick oils. There’s soot and motor oil. Square patches of exercise books covered with rubbed pencil graphite like a primary school scratch-and-win. Cold hurricane lamps. Fresh cut seaweed? And more salt crusted granite.

 Palate: Soot and char first then a green herby-seaweedy menthol and then the heavy oils, oily peat and minerals arrive with the saltwater and smoke and lemons. Ignition of some old kerosene lamp. Great density of body despite the 45%

 Finish: Long, sooty, engine oil, lemons, smoke and brine.