22/01/2021 Springbank Society

Springbank 15yo 1997/2013 (56.5%, OB Springbank Society, 10y Refill Bourbon Hogshead + 5y Fresh Madeira Cask, 600b): nose: seal wax and a faint smoke from the fire that melted the wax in the first place. Nail varnish, scorched earth, dry hay and even a gentle petrolic touch. It becomes more and more farm-y as time passes, with the hay morphing into farm paths and the nail varnish into horse hooves -- a stylish horse wearing hoof varnish. There is a berry note as well, that hints at red wine -- a robust, rustic red wine, drunk in a rustic country house. There are also chestnuts in their shiny shells and a mahogany coffee table. Speaking of coffee, mocha shows up too, in the long run. Later on, steamed banana makes an entrance, as unexpected as it is welcome, and mingles with the aforementioned wax. Mouth: warming and comforting, spicy on the tongue, surreptitiously, but surely anaesthetising the gums. It has hot candlewax, dried mud on tractor tyres, a pinch of soot, maybe even burnt tyre (not in an invasive way), charred hazel and tar. It is surprisingly tarry and tyre-y; that almost completely overshadows the wine-related berries from the nose. They are there alright, but covered in earth and soot, kept on the inside of a tyre. It remains pleasant nonetheless, mind! The darkest blackberries do appear, eventually, smoked blackberries. Finish: ink, soot, charred wood (hazel here too), charred, red-wine-marinated, barbecued ribs, charred beetroots, charred parsnips. Well, there is quite a bit of char, is the short version. :-) Smoked blackberries, smashed on a slice of charred bread, charcoal crackers, topped with a smoked-berry jam, hot rubber, diesel, petrol, or warm engine oil. Repeated sipping brings the wine back, rustic but elegant, sincere and, actually, pretty good, especially on this cold January evening. 7/10 (Thanks for the sample, BC)