Springbank 11 Year Local Barley

So this will have me complete in my reviews of the local barely range. This one is also a sample I hate to say, but here we go. 100% bourbon casks here. Nose - well yeah a bit uneventful front so I can see where the wine casks were helping before. That barely and springbank sweetness is still here. I'm oddly not getting a lot of funk or peat or salt here, it's there but this is a softer version. I do get a touch of apple and pear, slight. Then some oak, wet oak. Young whisky for sure but well done malt and good casks with a nice abv. Taste - Chocolate, salted caramel, oak, earthy notes. Finish is long, intense, and coating. Guys, this is why I LOVE springbank. The malt is so complex with that mix of peat and funk and just the dunnage warehouse epic....and then they turn it up with freaking locally grown barely? Everything about this is youthful rich bourbon casks and spirits but springbank does it SO WELL. This is just truly epic distillate where mistakes don't matter. Now back to objective reviewing. Yeah it's a bit young, the spirit is a touch hot. It's good, very very good. But am I in love with it? Yeah...I kinda am lol. Will you be though? And that's the rub, do you REALLY love what springbank does? if so yep, it's for you. If you're more into older or more wine finished bottles from them, this isn't for you. This is SPRINGBANK at 11. I'm a 3.75 for this one. It's great and I could do this all day, but an assertive younger whisky that's got great distillate is still just that, even if it's my favorite of favorites.

Damn this whiskey bar is good. All the fresh off the press brand new stuff up for the tasting. I'd heard great things about the 16 year, did the 11 live up to the family hype? Unfortunately I paired it with the Hazelburn Olorosso and Kilchoman Red wine which took out joint first. This was good and a few drops of water opened it up but it wasn't as good as the other two. I can't remember exact flavour profiles as I was on my third whiskey and chatting to a mate so my memory fails me. It's a fair bit more expensive nearly 50%) than the Hazelburn 13 at $115USD. A respectable 4 I'll give it.

Yet more samples from Campbeltown have arrived at my door, among them two of the Springbank Local Barley releases. Let’s try them side by side. First up to bat is the 11-year-old and it’s super oily in the glass. The nose is creamy and malty, with hints of dark chocolate and mint. Water amplifies the aromas for the better. Taste wise, it’s more of the same - creamy, malty, minty. The finish is slightly sweet and tangy. This is a very refined and somewhat traditional tasting Scotch, enjoyable but not life changing.

Rich caramels and toffee, dried apricots, then some more robust oakiness, wet hay/ vegetal notes, mild salinity and some tobbaco and char closer to the finish. The finish is definitely has a peatiness to it, about half earthy/half smoky. The finish is medium to long with tinges of vanilla, brine and hay.

Yep, thatll do it. Excellent whiskey. Briny, malt, hint of smoke, peat, grassiness, orchard fruits, spicy finish, complexity. Roller coaster. Campbeltown funk. Lovely pour that makes you wonder how many centuries of craft it takes to produce something like this.

Initial sweetness followed by spice and peat with fruity undertone and hint of vanilla. Bit hot but good mouth feel. Few drops of wster decreases the heat and smooths out the palate without sacrificing the flavor.