Springbank 21 Year Oloroso Cask (Darkness)

Springbank Whisky Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 17 April 2024, Whisky #4 Tasted from bottle number 98. Nose: Lots of sherry, dark malt, orange oil, leather, Demerara sugar. Unrecognisable as a Springbank – it’s more like a big old Blair Athol or Benrinnes. Palate: Drying arrival with heaps of sherry. Raisins, walnuts, semi-sweet stewed and dried fruits (figs, dates). The Springbank character asserts itself as a meaty quality as the development kicks in but there is not a lot of progression. Toffee, some soft tannins and a little gentle wood smoke. The texture is good but not amazing. Finish: Medium/Long. Sherry, old oak, stone fruits. This expression was bottled under the "Darkness" label, which is owned by independent bottler Atom Brands (they also own That Boutique-y Whisky, amongst others). The Darkness label is for whiskies that have received intense oloroso sherry finishing. This was was matured for 21 years prior to receiving 6 months of finishing in octave casks (either seasoned with sherry or re-coopered from sherry casks – I’m not sure which). 203 bottles were released so the maturation must have been in two such octaves. If you love sherry monsters you’d probably enjoy this one but if you are seeking Springbank character it’s pretty much obscured here. I would rather have tasted this prior to the finishing. Water had little impact on the nose but it made the palate a lot sweeter. It’s nice enough whisky for sure but in the end I thought it was a curious sideshow exhibit rather than a headline attraction, and at the rather expensive price (particularly for a 500ml bottle!) it’s not one I would recommend to anyone but a hard-core Springbank completionist. “Good” : 83/100 (3.5 stars)