Like a storm gathering off the Kintyre coast, our 15 year old Springbank is dark and ominous, but delicious. Best enjoyed after dinner or with your favourite cigar, this is a true classic. 100% Sherry cask.
Springbank distillers
Appearance
Almost chestnut brown in colour, with a thick swirl line on my Copita, and thick legs that look smeary.
Nose
Wow, immediately it noses higher ABV than it is, and the first aroma I get is one of oil, like new engine oil. Next up is raw linseed, of cricket bat treatment, I’m also getting cereals and grains. This dram is taking it’s sweet time to open up that’s for sure.
Waiting a while longer and I’m getting seared pineapple chunks, dates, dark chocolate, and more oiliness. Black currants appear eventually, with molasses, a faint smokiness, and citrus pomelo.
Palate
The mouthfeel isn’t as thick as I’d expected initially, but there are plenty of flavours waiting to explode on the plate. Black Forest gateau, old leather, cocoa powder, along with some quite hot and spicy cinnamon.
The palate continues to develop, and we’re into hickory smoked coffee, hazelnuts, cumin and black liquorice. There is some drying with this dram, and I’d say a faint sulphur flavour also.
As it’s developed into this dark and stronger flavours a piercing sweetness comes through, I’m thinking cream soda, but it’s fleeting.
Finish
We have quite a long finish here, and those darker notes return for the ending. Chocolate coated raisins, pontefract cakes, liquorice allsorts, with mocha coffee and hazelnut spread.
My thoughts
It’s only a week ago that i finally got to taste the Springbank 10yo form the Springbank core range, after tasting more exotic bottlings, now it’s the turn of their 15yo. Springbank distillers are one of a handful of whisky producers that are producing their whisky in small batches, that sell out very quickly. Seeing on social media who has or hasn’t managed to get a bottle can be frustrating at times, as it’s obvious that there just enough to satisfy demand at the moment. With all this in mind, what did i think of this offering?
After pouring this dram and waiting approx 30 minutes i found the nose very slow to open up, i had gotten to a point where i really didn’t know what i’d be tasting. i did have to wait 45 minutes before finally the nose did open up, and notes i hoped i’d find on the palate started to appear.
After waiting 45+ minutes for the nose to open up, the palate was immediately open on first sip, and i have to say i think it’s a glorious Palate. I had to slow down with my tasting notes as the whisky was throwing so many at me all at once.
I don’t generally like to know a whiskies cask make up before i do my tasting notes, it helps me to rely on my senses. All the aromas and flavours i got from this bottling screamed Sherry cask, and indeed it is, 100% Sherry cask, what you see is definitely what you get here, and i would love a bottle in my cupboard.
A big thank you goes out to my Twitter whisky friend Duncan, @whiskytip, for the generous sample. Duncan, as well as us can be followed on twitter using the buttons below.
Bottle image – @whiskeychap, distillery image – Undiscovered Scotland.
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