N: Smoke and leather, orchard fruit and stone fruit. Faint nuttiness, almond or walnut. Dried strawberries, occasionally. Maybe imagining it, but I feel like there's a bit of sea spray in there too. Overall effect is like watching a beach bonfire from afar - close enough to feel the smoke, but far enough away that the smoke doesn't overpower what's kicked up from the surf. P: Honey, white tea, and sweet orchard fruit hit first. That's promptly and rudely kicked out by a powerful cinnamon and anise spice finish that starts very early. Spice borders on capsaicin. Would like the softer flavors to stick around a bit longer. Salted caramel pops in and out through the spice on successive sips. Mouthfeel is big, oily and salty with some bitterness and a little tannic pucker. This is not the easiest whisky to drink. Gotta be patient and curious, and then really take your time with it. Feels like the kind of bottle you buy one out of each biannual release and then hold and drink slowly over time, when the mood is right, which is probably not very often.
Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength (Batch 17)
About this bottle
A semi-annual release from the Springbank Distillery, one of the last family-owned distilleries in Scotland. Beginning in 2010, Springbank began releasing two vattings per year (with one exception) of a twelve-year-old cask strength malt, aged in a combination of ex-bourbon and ex-sherry casks at around a 60:40 or 70:30 ratio (depends on the vatting). This Batch #17--which isn't listed anywhere on bottle--has the latter ratio. Whisky nerds and Springbank-lovers keep track of the different batches by the ABV, which varies slightly with each new iteration. It is non-chillfiltered and has no added color. This batch is 56.2% ABV and was released in the UK in August 2018 with other markets/countries to follow.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 15 parsed reviews.
The best parts of every scotch region all in one glorious combo. High end of light peat smoke (more meaty than smoky), earthy/dirty and salty with a nice maritime minerality. Sherry is pleasantly balanced with the peat and earth, bringing forth a delicious dried red fruit characteristic; all wrapped in a layer of savory fragrance of florality, fruit, and caramel. Drink neat or with a few drops of water!
Springbank 12YO 2019 Cask Strength 57.1% - 2nd try - Salty, lightly peppery, caramel, dryness, raisin, sherry - indeed it is 50% sherry and 50% bourbon 2 Spicy hit, sherry, raisins, nutty, bitterness 1.25 Sustained sulphuric smoke 1.25 1.5 Springbank 12YO 2019 57.19% cask strength 2 Sharp peppery 1.5 Electric, zest, hits all corner of the mouth, dry 3 Light peat 2
Nose: peaty, smoke show by the beach, when diluted, it became more floral, softer, red berries Flavor: peaty, spicy, anise. Caramel breath Good balance between peaty and sherry. Very layered. Not great for me whos still novice to scotch, but can def feel the complex character.
Fresh, spirit driven and medicinal. Cough syrup in nose and grassy notes. Green and fresh. Slight peat, perhaps? Oily and thick, fresh grass, liquorice and fennel in mouth, minty and slightly peppery. Medium finish again with the cough syrup coming back
Steep, needs a bit of water to reveal more character. I got somewhat hints of salt and eucalyptus on the smell, I taste spices on the palate, slight caramel but the finish is not as burning as expected. Definitely water + a bit of resting before sipping
9 more reviews were collected for this bottle. The longest ones are shown first.
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