The tasting actually took place on 01/05, but hey! This is my 505th blog post... and it is my blog, so my rules. :-)
Springbank 24yo 1994/2019 (50.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Refill Barrel, 312b): this one excited the usual suspects, when it came out; it was a Springbank, it was old and it was not cheap (by Cadenhead's standards).
I tried it and liked it.
Whiskyfun tried and did not like it. Nose: colour-pencil shavings, ink, damp earth, then a coastal waves takes off, with drying crab shells, sardines and rollmops. Behind that, a pinch of herbs, rosemary and oregano, remind us that Campbeltown is a net beneficiary of the Gulf Stream's influence. Crushed capers would be a stretch, but there is something brine-y at play (see: rollmops) held in plastic tubs. The nose holds promises of fruit, but it is difficult to discern which one(s). Crushed raspberry, maybe? Mouth: woah! The attack is much bolder than I expected; it presents dry earth, beach sands, brine-y rocks, yet also high-quality cracked black pepper on squashed raspberries. Funnily enough, it works! It feels powerful on the tongue, with hues of capers, almost anchovies (yes, very salty) playing against the berry sweetness. That is supported by an oily texture and an assertive, if less and less aggressive, black-pepper note. Finish: marvellously creamy, it is reminiscent of the palate, with black pepper straight off the mill, crushed raspberry, crushed bay leaves and softly-brine-y sands. The fruit grows in power as time passes, whilst the black pepper takes a secondary role. It is salty in the finish too, especially in the long run, which keeps the mouth salivating. Oh! This finish is never-ending too. Excellent. 9/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Springbank 26yo 1992/2018 (51%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, No.100, 100b): not too sure where I got this one from. Nose: much more dough-y than the Cadenhead, in a cheesy-crust way. Scratch that: it is those giant pretzels one finds in New York, fluffier than their smaller siblings, which are crispy. A few moments later, crayon shavings arrive, candle wax and boiled corn, baked potatoes, ink on a metallic printing press and, maybe, a drop of fino sherry. Deeper inhaling reveals plasticine, rubbery cheese (not as salty as halloumi, though), new rubber boots, ageing Tupperware... That is a first! :-D Mouth: ooomph! It is sweet and peppery at the same time, with black peppercorns and melted caster sugar (not browned, therefore not caramel), a metallic edge on the tongue too (pencil-sharpener blade), cough syrup and Jägermeister -- this is all over the place! Liquorice root and lots of caster sugar. The second sip seems almost salty, though it is hard to tell, behind all that sugar, which turns almost marzipan-y. Finish: warm, warming, it has aniseed, black liquorice laces, a pinch of coffee grounds, burnt toast, super-bitter chocolate (we are talking above ninety-five percent cocoa, here), a taste of stagnant bog water in the very back that reminds me of
the old Irish thing we had recently, soft-water fishing nets, burning cinnamon sticks, tea pots (fruity and black teas). I find this quite unusual. A bit like
the way the morning broke. ;-) 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, whoever gave it to me)
Springbank Local Barley 11yo 2006/2017 (53.1%, OB Local Barley, Bourbon Casks, 9000b, 17/65): well, it is different, that is the least one can say. This one is cereal-forward (you read it here first, remember!), with Weetabix, malted milk, pork sausages, cooked swede and pot ale. It is also rather sweaty, showcasing gym socks, cheese and pig's milk. All of a sudden, that disappears and ink comes to the fore, alongside paper paste and a spoonful of stale custard. Ten minutes in, it turns softly fruity, with jackfruit, pineapple and carambola. Oh! it is very subtle, but it is there, surrounded by coconut cream. Maybe a tiny drop of maracuja, even. Mouth: the most accessible of the lot, so far, it does sparkle in the mouth like a teaspoonful of cumin, yet that spicy aspect is eclipsed by shortbread, dunked in malted milk. A minuscule amount of shredded, fresh green chilli provides the horsepower. The second sip welcomes the fruity side, with pineapple yoghurt, coconut cream and carambola paste. Tropical alright! Subtle again, though. Finish: what a ride! wine-y, then farm-y, then cereal-y, then wine-y again. The wine is almost Port-like, the farm is cattle feed (dark-grain pellets), and the cereal is smoked bran. Fruit is even tamer here than on the nose and palate, leaving a lot of room for that big fight between wine, cattle feed and coconut-y granola. The wine note leaves a bittersweet impression on the palate, which later turns nutty. Nice! 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Springbank 24yo 1995/2019 (55.8%, cask sample, Sherry Hogshead, C#496): this is a sample from
a cask that recently sold for a hefty price. I was lucky enough to receive a sample of it. I tried it on the spot and kept a little for proper notes.
Very little, so they will not be long notes. Nose: yet another profile. Watercolour, cooked vegetables (broccoli, beans, salsify), then so much wax it might as well be a Clynelish. Several minutes in, the peat slowly and timidly peeks its head out, with fishing nets, crayfish, yet also bog myrtles, smoked elderberry and rapeseed oil -- no!
Canola oil. Later, it is pine cones, coated in smoky wax. Mouth: it is immediately ashy, but it also feels weak. I hope I did not leave it too long in the sample... Smoked tea, incense sticks, guaicol, bonfires all hide behind a frankly watery fruitiness. Finish: smoky and fruity, it has char-grilled pineapple, cinnamon sticks, cassia bark, burning hay... but all that is spent. Watery. I remembered it being quite fierce and very dry, with Sauvignong blanc and ashes. Today, it seems but a shadow of its old self. It is difficult to say with certainty, given the small quantity available, but I reckon the sample is spoilt. No score, for that reason. (
Thanks for the sample, SA)
Springbank 9yo 2007/2017 (57.1%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Sauternes Hogsheads, 1128b, 17/205): nose: fortified wine galore, it displays white Port, dry, white sherry (that would be fino, then), as well as a nutty profile, namely cashew and peanuts. The combination is quite heady. A little later, some juicy fruits appear, shy, but definitely present. Boiled apricots, candied apples, peach nectar and fusty bung cloth. Rapeseed oil, mink oil, and something more cardboard-y; parchment? Yes,
baking parchment that has been in the oven one too many time and is starting to carbonise and crumble. Mouth: velvety, soft, approachable, it is syrupy as a fortified wine. Not really Sauternes-like, however: it feels much darker and heavier, perhaps closer to tawny Port. It is very, very sweet, with all sorts of pressed raisins and figs, liqueur and pralines. Heavy and coating, it even has a gentle woody side, with thuja bark, covered in sap. Finish: a curious and successful balance of sugary, raisin-y sweetness and drying, fusty cork. Maybe dark ganache pralines, sappy thuja bark again, pressed dried dates, dried figs and dates covered in dark, sticky honey (Moroccan-dessert style), caramel, and a drop of melted chocolate to boot -- gianduja, maybe. Almond oil, rapeseed oil, even gun oil, and, to a point, brandy, though not a terribly-fruity one. This is good, but heavy and intense. I do not think I could drink lots of it. 8/10 (
Thanks for the sample, SW)
Springbank 24yo 1994/2019 (50.8%, Cadenhead Authentic Collection, Refill Barrel, 312b): this one excited the usual suspects, when it came out; it was a Springbank, it was old and it was not cheap (by Cadenhead's standards). I tried it and liked it. Whiskyfun tried and did not like it. Nose: colour-pencil shavings, ink, damp earth, then a coastal waves takes off, with drying crab shells, sardines and rollmops. Behind that, a pinch of herbs, rosemary and oregano, remind us that Campbeltown is a net beneficiary of the Gulf Stream's influence. Crushed capers would be a stretch, but there is something brine-y at play (see: rollmops) held in plastic tubs. The nose holds promises of fruit, but it is difficult to discern which one(s). Crushed raspberry, maybe? Mouth: woah! The attack is much bolder than I expected; it presents dry earth, beach sands, brine-y rocks, yet also high-quality cracked black pepper on squashed raspberries. Funnily enough, it works! It feels powerful on the tongue, with hues of capers, almost anchovies (yes, very salty) playing against the berry sweetness. That is supported by an oily texture and an assertive, if less and less aggressive, black-pepper note. Finish: marvellously creamy, it is reminiscent of the palate, with black pepper straight off the mill, crushed raspberry, crushed bay leaves and softly-brine-y sands. The fruit grows in power as time passes, whilst the black pepper takes a secondary role. It is salty in the finish too, especially in the long run, which keeps the mouth salivating. Oh! This finish is never-ending too. Excellent. 9/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
Springbank 26yo 1992/2018 (51%, Maltbarn, Bourbon Cask, No.100, 100b): not too sure where I got this one from. Nose: much more dough-y than the Cadenhead, in a cheesy-crust way. Scratch that: it is those giant pretzels one finds in New York, fluffier than their smaller siblings, which are crispy. A few moments later, crayon shavings arrive, candle wax and boiled corn, baked potatoes, ink on a metallic printing press and, maybe, a drop of fino sherry. Deeper inhaling reveals plasticine, rubbery cheese (not as salty as halloumi, though), new rubber boots, ageing Tupperware... That is a first! :-D Mouth: ooomph! It is sweet and peppery at the same time, with black peppercorns and melted caster sugar (not browned, therefore not caramel), a metallic edge on the tongue too (pencil-sharpener blade), cough syrup and Jägermeister -- this is all over the place! Liquorice root and lots of caster sugar. The second sip seems almost salty, though it is hard to tell, behind all that sugar, which turns almost marzipan-y. Finish: warm, warming, it has aniseed, black liquorice laces, a pinch of coffee grounds, burnt toast, super-bitter chocolate (we are talking above ninety-five percent cocoa, here), a taste of stagnant bog water in the very back that reminds me of the old Irish thing we had recently, soft-water fishing nets, burning cinnamon sticks, tea pots (fruity and black teas). I find this quite unusual. A bit like the way the morning broke. ;-) 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, whoever gave it to me)
Springbank Local Barley 11yo 2006/2017 (53.1%, OB Local Barley, Bourbon Casks, 9000b, 17/65): well, it is different, that is the least one can say. This one is cereal-forward (you read it here first, remember!), with Weetabix, malted milk, pork sausages, cooked swede and pot ale. It is also rather sweaty, showcasing gym socks, cheese and pig's milk. All of a sudden, that disappears and ink comes to the fore, alongside paper paste and a spoonful of stale custard. Ten minutes in, it turns softly fruity, with jackfruit, pineapple and carambola. Oh! it is very subtle, but it is there, surrounded by coconut cream. Maybe a tiny drop of maracuja, even. Mouth: the most accessible of the lot, so far, it does sparkle in the mouth like a teaspoonful of cumin, yet that spicy aspect is eclipsed by shortbread, dunked in malted milk. A minuscule amount of shredded, fresh green chilli provides the horsepower. The second sip welcomes the fruity side, with pineapple yoghurt, coconut cream and carambola paste. Tropical alright! Subtle again, though. Finish: what a ride! wine-y, then farm-y, then cereal-y, then wine-y again. The wine is almost Port-like, the farm is cattle feed (dark-grain pellets), and the cereal is smoked bran. Fruit is even tamer here than on the nose and palate, leaving a lot of room for that big fight between wine, cattle feed and coconut-y granola. The wine note leaves a bittersweet impression on the palate, which later turns nutty. Nice! 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
Springbank 24yo 1995/2019 (55.8%, cask sample, Sherry Hogshead, C#496): this is a sample from a cask that recently sold for a hefty price. I was lucky enough to receive a sample of it. I tried it on the spot and kept a little for proper notes. Very little, so they will not be long notes. Nose: yet another profile. Watercolour, cooked vegetables (broccoli, beans, salsify), then so much wax it might as well be a Clynelish. Several minutes in, the peat slowly and timidly peeks its head out, with fishing nets, crayfish, yet also bog myrtles, smoked elderberry and rapeseed oil -- no! Canola oil. Later, it is pine cones, coated in smoky wax. Mouth: it is immediately ashy, but it also feels weak. I hope I did not leave it too long in the sample... Smoked tea, incense sticks, guaicol, bonfires all hide behind a frankly watery fruitiness. Finish: smoky and fruity, it has char-grilled pineapple, cinnamon sticks, cassia bark, burning hay... but all that is spent. Watery. I remembered it being quite fierce and very dry, with Sauvignong blanc and ashes. Today, it seems but a shadow of its old self. It is difficult to say with certainty, given the small quantity available, but I reckon the sample is spoilt. No score, for that reason. (Thanks for the sample, SA)
Springbank 9yo 2007/2017 (57.1%, OB Springbank Society, Fresh Sauternes Hogsheads, 1128b, 17/205): nose: fortified wine galore, it displays white Port, dry, white sherry (that would be fino, then), as well as a nutty profile, namely cashew and peanuts. The combination is quite heady. A little later, some juicy fruits appear, shy, but definitely present. Boiled apricots, candied apples, peach nectar and fusty bung cloth. Rapeseed oil, mink oil, and something more cardboard-y; parchment? Yes, baking parchment that has been in the oven one too many time and is starting to carbonise and crumble. Mouth: velvety, soft, approachable, it is syrupy as a fortified wine. Not really Sauternes-like, however: it feels much darker and heavier, perhaps closer to tawny Port. It is very, very sweet, with all sorts of pressed raisins and figs, liqueur and pralines. Heavy and coating, it even has a gentle woody side, with thuja bark, covered in sap. Finish: a curious and successful balance of sugary, raisin-y sweetness and drying, fusty cork. Maybe dark ganache pralines, sappy thuja bark again, pressed dried dates, dried figs and dates covered in dark, sticky honey (Moroccan-dessert style), caramel, and a drop of melted chocolate to boot -- gianduja, maybe. Almond oil, rapeseed oil, even gun oil, and, to a point, brandy, though not a terribly-fruity one. This is good, but heavy and intense. I do not think I could drink lots of it. 8/10 (Thanks for the sample, SW)
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