Origin: Campbeltown (Scotland)
Type: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Gradation: 56.2%ABV
Ageing casks: Ex-Bourbon, ex-Sherry and ex-Port
Chillfliltered: No
Additional coloring: No
Owner: J & A Mitchell & Co Ltd.
Average price: € 140,00
Official website: springbank.scot
Vote: 94/100
We have already talked about Springbank and its entirely artisanal production, in particular about the fact that all the processing of barley is done on site, a practice not so common anymore.
There is, however, another peculiarity of this family-run activity, namely to make use of part of the barley from crops not far from their headquarters, creating limited editions limited made virtually “at home”.
The Local Barley series initially produced whisky from higher ageing, made with distillates dating back to the 1960s and released from the 1990s until 2001.
In 2016 the distillery resumed this tradition, with much younger malts, launching a series of five expressions on a semi-annual basis:
2016 – 16 years at 54.3%ABV, 80% ex-Bourbon and 20% ex-Sherry.
2017 – 11 years at 53.1%ABV, ex-Bourbon + 10 years at 57.3%, 70% ex-Bourbon and 30% ex-Sherry.
2018 – 9 years at 57.7%ABV, 80% ex-Bourbon and 20% ex-Sherry.
2019 – 10 years at 56.2%ABV, 77% ex-Bourbon , 20% ex-Sherry and 3% ex-Port.
Tasting notes
The color is light gold with light copper reflections.
The nose is very fragrant, without the slightest presence of alcohol. Strong presence of sweet malt, like McVitie’s biscuits, with a vein of aniseed candies, caramelized cane sugar, lemon zest, peach and freshly cut grass. On everything, a wiff of peat smoke comes from the sea. Particular and inviting.
And spices are very present on the palate, driven by the most accentuated smokiness, with the right alcohol content that warms its souls. Anise and black pepper accompany the peach in syrup, smeared on the malt biscuit, with a trio of seaweed and smoked sardines. The evolution and stratification in the mouth are irrepressible, the aromas intersect and change hands continuously, following a well-orchestrated score.
Very long finish, peach, peat, salt, malt, wood… it never ends!
In this whisky, sweet and salty are harmonious and supported by peat, herbaceous and smoky, with spices to be the musical counterpoint, a strange, fun, alive and exciting drink.
And it’s only 10 years old…