Dram data:
Distillery:Â Springbank
Bottler:Â Official bottling
Distilled: 11.2003
Bottled:Â 05.2016
Age: 12
Limitation: 10260 bottles
Casks:Â 1st fill Burgundy barrels
Alcohol: 53,5%
unchillfiltered and uncoloured
Whiskybase link
So… we’ve had Madeira finished Finnish whisky yesterday, so let’s stay with wine finishes/maturations and pour a dram of a hugely popular Springbank from earlier this year.
Tasting notes:
Colour:Â red gold
The nose opens with quite a lot of peat smoke for a Springbank whisky. I’ve had more subtle Longrow drams! Not that I’m complaining! Once you cut through the peat there’s the usual slightly salty note intermingled with fresh mint and a whiff of alcohol. Digging even deeper we finally arrive at the core of the whisky. Very noticeable wine cask influence. Sweet grapes, grape seeds, candied oranges and pineapples, pickled ginger, mango sorbet with lemon drizzled on top, fruity pipe tobacco and Swiss orange cough drops. Not an easy dram. Let’s check the palate: Oh! Quite a load of peat up front, immediately followed by mouth- and teeth coating wine influence. Sweetness and dryness get in balance after an initial dry note. Are you sure this is not a half and half of whisky and dry/sweet wine? Grapes, sweet grape juice including crushed grape seeds, dried dates, dried mango, condensed lychee juice, French oak spices and a fragrant oak+leather+book of herbs note in the background. A pinch of salt? Maybe, but the wine is stronger. I am struggling a bit, to be honest (and as a reviewer you should always be honest). This is a bit too much on the extreme wine side for me, BUT it is undoubtedly very good whisky and I know a lot of people who absolutely adore this style. Just my personal preference, really. The long finish is very big upon swallowing with peatiness and a dry/sweet fruity combo with herbal, leather and oak notes that just rolls down the throat. Mmmhhh!
Verdict:
That’s a big whisky! Bold, peaty, fruity with LOTS of wine influence. And I really mean LOTS! Well, it does say Burgundy on the label! Ha! This might not be my preferred style of whisky (I do struggle a bit with a lot of wine maturations/finishes besides Port or Sherry), but I do recognise the greatness. If you love your wine matured drams – slap on another four or five points on top of the final score!
Score:Â 84/100
(Nose: 85 Palate: 82 Finish: 88)
Thanks to malt mate Manny for the sample!