Any excuse to taste Springbank, really. I was recently sent a sample of a Private Cask from a few years ago. Then I combed through my sample drawer to find a few other Springbank samples I still had left. And voilà, here’s a trio of Springbank reviews.
The Springbank 15 Years and Springbank 18 Years are staples, but with quite some batch variation. For example, the current 18-year-old (which was just released) is made from 100% bourbon casks. The 2022 edition I’m reviewing today includes 35% sherry casks. That makes a huge difference.
And then there’s the Private Cask, the last to be reviewed today. Springbank famously operated a cask programme in the 1990s and early 2000s. It’s hard to imagine in the current climate, but anyone interested could buy a cask from Springbank back then. (For your sake, I won’t mention the prices.)
Many of these Private Casks have since been bottled and enjoyed. But one cask is a lot to drink by yourself. The sample I was sent is from a Springbank 1992 27 Years, matured in refill bourbon hogshead #273 and bottled in 2020. The owner is now working with Whisky.Auction to sell the remaining bottles from his private cask.
Springbank 15 Years (46%, OB, 2022)
Nose: Undeniably sherry-forward. There’s touches of hazelnut praline, butter and milk chocolate, as well as some mocha, soy sauce and hessian. Oranges and tangerines add a welcome brightness. There’s just a light layer of wood smoke lingering in the background, and soft minerals are never far away.
Taste: Much more sherried even. Dark chocolate, coffee grounds and cherries, but its balanced. Somewhat dirty, but certainly no big off-notes. There’s sweetness, tobacco and more juicy red fruits. Just a tinge of diesel too. Nice.
Finish: Medium length. Slightly oaky, subtle spices and a touch of shoe polish.
Springbank 18 Years (46%, OB, 2022)
Nose: A pleasant sweetness alongside bright orange zest, tinned peaches, hints of bandages, some damp oak and a touch of dunnage floor. There’s also a whisper of chalk, wet pebbles and even ozone. Harmonious would be the right adjective here.
Taste: Hints of honey, heather and waxes, but also a slightly cloying sherry influence. There’s a light spiciness alongside wisps burlap, a touch of earthy peat and sticky red fruits.
Finish: Medium length. Somewhat dry, but also mineral and coastal.
Springbank 1992 27 Years (48.4%, OB, C#273)
Nose: Wonderfully first impression with all kinds of fruits and waxes. Some candied fruits, but also fresh fruits. Think tart apple with hints of citrus. A profound minerality is never far away. Touches of petrichor, beach pebbles and clay. Hints of chalk, pomelo and cantaloupe too, as well as olive oil and wet wool.
Taste: Very pure. Oily. Gentle orchard fruits with notes of candle wax, some beeswax, a sliver of seaweed and limestone. Also seawater, whisper of lemon pith and herbal touches. There’s a touch of tobacco leaves as well, accompanied by crushed mint leaves and just a tinge of medicinal peat.
Finish: Medium length. Briny and waxy, but with jammy fruits as well.
Photos: Whisky.Auction