Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland

Name: Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength

Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky

Extra Info: Campbeltown, originally known as Kinlochkilkerran, lies facing Campbeltown Loch on the Kintyre Peninsula and was once home to over 30 distilleries; however, now only three remain active, Springbank, Glen Scotia and Glengyle.

Why did I buy it?

My first taste of Springbank whisky, the 10 Year Old, blew me away so trying the 12 Year Old Cask Strength expression was a no brainer. This particular batch is bottled at 53.8% ABV and previous and forthcoming batches will vary in alcohol concentration and ultimately aroma and flavour.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Identical to the Springbank 10 Year Old except for a red Springbank logo and lettering denoting the expression as 12 Years Old and Cask Strength.

Appearance: Much darker than the 10 Year Old, deep amber in colour and as will all Springbank whiskies, no artificial colouring is added and the whisky is non-chill filtered.

Aroma: Sublime marriage of cream, coconut, the faintest whiff of peat and fruit toast with melted butter.

Flavour: Oily mouthfeel, creamy, sweet dried fruits, light peat smoke and dark chocolate.

Finish: Medium to long length, spicy smoke concentrates on the tongue then fades, warming.

Would I buy it again?

Do you even need to ask? Of all the whiskies I currently own, this is perhaps my favourite. I love this whisky but I am a Springbank fan, so that may influence my judgement. As I mentioned above, this whisky varies from batch to batch so be aware of that when purchasing. But for me, the variety and sense of discovery from tasting a different batch is half the fun. An exceptional whisky.

Disclaimer: I do not claim to have the nose and palate of a Master Sommelier, however, I am working to train my senses to better identify whisky aromas and flavours. Consider all my whisky 'Impressions' to be a work in progress and I hope to come back to each of them in the future to see if I notice anything different. Most importantly, I'm not just throwing around random aromas, flavours and adjectives for the hell of it; I am trying really hard to critically describe each whisky I taste - WhiskyDad.