Top Picks

Home » Springbank
Showing posts with label Springbank. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Springbank. Show all posts

Springbank 15 Year Old Impressions

at 0

Springbank 15 Year Old Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland
Name: Springbank 15 Year Old
Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Extra Info: In 1970, Springbank bottled a 50 Year Old single malt whisky. Distilled in 1919, only 24 bottles were made and in 2013, the last of these was sold by the distillery to a Chinese whisky collector for an astonishing £50,000.

Why did I buy it?

Buying the Springbank 15 Year Old single malt gave me an opportunity to compare it to the younger Springbank 10 and 12 Year Old expressions. The Springbank 15 Year Old is priced similarly to the 12 Year Old Cask Strength but there is still an 18 and a 21 Year Old expression in the current standard Springbank range that are considerably more expensive.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: Maintaining the common design language of the Springbank 10 Year Old and Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength this time with a green Springbank logo and lettering denoting the expression as aged 15 years. Bottled at 47% ABV.
Appearance: All Springbank whisky is bottled non-chill filtered and without additional colouring. You can see from the image above that the 15 Year Old is darker than the 10 and 12 Year Old expressions. Note that the 15 Year Old has had water added to bring the ABV down to 47% whereas the 12 Year Old is bottled without dilution at cask strength. The 12 Year Old would be lighter in colour if bottled at the same ABV as the 12 and 15 Year Old expressions.

Aroma: Notes of sweet apple and lightly smoked bacon. Water brings out more wood spices and some sherry.

Flavour: Smooth, oily mouthfeel that picks up spice as it warms in your mouth. Water calms the spice somewhat and reveals creamy vanilla and some chocolate maybe.

Finish: Medium length, with an initial wash of fresh sweetness, followed by a spicy fade that for me, appeared to encourage salivation. A great choice for a digestif perhaps?

Would I buy it again?

Yes, I would. Do I like it more than the similarly priced 12 Year Old Cask Strength? Hard to say. I think the 15 Year Old has a nicer finish but the 12 Year Old has more options for dilution and experimentation. The 12 Year Old also varies from batch to batch, meaning trying a new batch is like trying a new whisky. I am probably more likely to buy another bottle of the 12 Year Old before I buy the 15 Year Old again, but the 15 Year Old is a good benchmark to measure the other whiskies in the standard Springbank range against.

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.
0 comments

Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength Impressions

at 0

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.
0 comments

Longrow Peated Single Malt Impressions

at 0

Longrow Peated Single Malt Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland
Name: Longrow Peated
Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Extra Info: Springbank produces three whisky ranges; Longrow which is twice distilled and heavily peated (50-55 ppm), Springbank which is 2.5 times distilled and lightly peated (7-8 ppm) and Hazelburn which is triple distilled and unpeated.

Why did I buy it?

I bought the Longrow Peated to sample one of the peatiest offerings from Campbeltown. Longrow made with locally sourced barely, dried using locally source peat, producing a uniquely Campbeltown smoke.

What did I think of it?

Presentation: The Longrow Peated uses the same clear glass bottle as the Springbank range, but with gold text and iconography on a white label. It's an even simpler design than the Springbank range and looks just as clean and elegant. The cardboard box that the whisky comes in is also cut out at the front to show the bottle inside. Another great package from Springbank.

Appearance: With no added colouring or chill-filtering (note it is bottled at 46% ABV, since the esters that chill-filtration typically remove are soluble at 46% ABV and greater), the gold colour (a little darker than the Springbank 10 Year Old) comes purely from the barrels the whisky is matured in.

Aroma: Smoke, nutmeg, malt and butter notes.

Flavour: Balanced, difficult to pinpoint any dominant flavours, even the smoke is restrained. Smooth delivery. 

Finish: Medium length, smooth fading spice leaving a bitter aftertaste.

Would I buy it again?

Yes, this is a great whisky and is reasonably priced. An essential whisky for any peat freak who is willing to venture outside of Islay. I am very keen to try the special release Longrow Red and 18 Year Old expressions.

 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.
0 comments

Springbank 10 Year Old Impressions

at 0

Springbank 10 Year Old Impressions

What is it? 

Distillery: Springbank, Campbeltown, Scotland
Name: Springbank 10 Year Old
Make: Single Malt Scotch Whisky
Extra Info: Springbank has been owned and operated by the Mitchell family for five generations and is the only distillery in Scotland where 100% of the whisky making process is carried out on site.

Why did I buy it?

Springbank had been popping up on my radar for a while, but it wasn't until I googled it that I knew I had to try it. The Springbank 10 Year Old is the distillery's flagship expression but unlike some larger distilleries, no Springbank whisky contains e150 colouring and all whiskies are non-chill filtered. It was also a chance to try another non-Islay peated whisky since both Springbank and Longrow expressions are peated. 

What did I think of it?

Presentation: I love the packaging of Springbank whiskies. Simple, clean and elegant. A nicely shaped clear glass bottle is shared across the Springbank range with differently coloured labels used to distinguish the various expressions. The Springbank 10 Year Old has a black label with orange and white writing. The Springbank watermark is repeated over the background of the label and on the cardboard box the whisky comes in, cut out to show the bottle inside. Unique and very stylish.

Appearance: With no added colouring or chill-filtering (note it is bottled at 46% ABV, since the esters that chill-filtration typically remove are soluble at 46% ABV and greater), the light gold colour comes purely from the barrels the whisky is matured in.

Aroma: Stewed fruit, earthy smoke, caramel and vanilla.

Flavour: Light smoke, oak, cinnamon. 

Finish: Long, tingling spice lingers.

Would I buy it again?

Without a doubt. The Springbank 10 Year Old is one of those whiskies that I will always keep a bottle of on my shelf. Some of the limited expressions from Springbank can fetch a pretty penny but the 10 Year Old is very reasonably priced and easy to find at specialist whisky retailers or online. I highly recommend that you begin your Campbeltown scotch whisky education with a bottle of Springbank 10 Year Old.

 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.
0 comments
Powered by Blogger.