Origin: Campbeltown (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Strength: 46%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon and ex-Sherry
Chillfiltered: No
Additional Coloring: No
Owner: J & A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
Average price: € 84.00
Official website: springbank.scot
Vote: 85/100
Once again Springbank, this time returning to the distillery’s parent label, which continues to gain acclaim over the years.
We have already talked about the particular craftsmanship of this company, which has chosen to carry out the process of producing its malt entirely in the house, following (or perhaps pushing) the trend towards an increasing attention to raw materials, process, maturation and, of course, the environment.
We are moving more and more from macro to micro: if before we talked generically about Scotch to identify a geographical area, today the emphasis is increasingly on the localization of raw materials (and not only), applying the concept of terroir also to whisky.
As far as I’m concerned, in the world of spirits there is room for everyone: for the artisans of Springbank, for the elitists of Dalmore, for the old glories of Macallan, for the industrialists Johnnie Walker… the productive (and entrepreneurial) variety can only be good for the industry, which needs innovative pushes that know how to look as much to the future as to the past, especially with a nature never so capricious.
Because Greta certainly doesn’t drink whisky (yet), but there is no doubt that climate change also affects the future of this distillate in its agricultural component, and companies with attention to the territory such as Springbank or Bruichladdich are perhaps the key to preserving this tradition in the stormy tomorrow that awaits us.
Tasting notes
As you can see from the image, this is from a sample of the latest evolution of this bottle, distinguishable from the previous one for the different label.
Gold loaded into the glass, with coppery reflections, very dense.
On the nose, a slight alcoholic sting (which almost immediately fades) makes way for the sherried notes of whisky: raisins, marzipan, a pinch of vanilla. Initially a little closed, leaving it to breathe reveals a splash of salt (marine) accompanied by dark chocolate and spices, and mixes a vinous profile, almost marsalate.
The palate is immediately intriguing: a softly smoky entrance slips into the mouth an elegant pastiche of cherry and chocolate, with a clear peppery connotation. Candied fruit (orange and, right!, cherry), again marzipan and that vinous and marsalate profile perceived on the nose that here becomes more decisive and full. The smoke is really a hint, a thread of peat that curls on the flavors giving an added flick. The alcohol content is perfect: more would have been intrusive, less would have soaked the aromas.
The finish is long, the tannic and vinous part is the master along with the memory of cherry and chocolate.
Had it not been for the disappointing nose and a certain intrusiveness of the vinous component, I would have appreciated it much more: Springbank’s wisdom is all there, especially in creating a distillate that knows how to stand out clearly from its 10-year-old brother, and while not creating excellence, gives birth to an intriguing malt.
Reviews of Springbank whisky in the blog
Other perspectives:
The Scotch Noob