Springbank 21 Year

Rating: 20/23 N: Interesting. It's herbal and musty with a menthol character prominently on display. As I swirl it, I start to get farmyard and wood. It's a bold wood backing, but it doesn't come across as overly austere. Then some toasty grain with vanilla and a bit of cinnamon. And a low layer of smoke like soot that's just been there coating a bricks outside a fireplace that nobody can quite get off. An occasional faint hint of orange concentrate or something else kind of tart but also a bit full. There's also a hint of buckwheat (a faint hint) that then joins with the wood and adds a bit of light toasty and nutty character. This is a much bolder nose than that of Springbank 18 (2018), but I can't say that it's as balanced or enjoyable. Between the two, I would take the Springbank 18. P: There's a richness that jumps out here. It has a bit of virgin oak sweet richness and vanilla sweetness without having that same monotone flavor I expect from a young whisky aged in virgin oak. It just kind of adds that layer on top of the existing Springbank maturity, filling out the character. A little menthol with some fruit that's tart yet rich and sweet like lemons that have turned into plums and then prunes over many years. If there was any doubt about oloroso barrels. the nuttiness that follows erases it. The Springbank character is not entirely erased though - I get farmyard funk coming in from behind the barrels at times. Speaking of barrels: I do get plenty of the bold wood from the nose, with a bit of cinnamon, clove, and occasional white pepper coming through. It's a bit tannic (not just the clove flavor), but not overwhelming or out of balance. F: This is where that Springbank character shows the most. It's a reminder of where this came from. There's grain, a hint of malt, some funkiness combining earth and vegetal flavors. There are still those oloroso flavors and the syrupy prunes, and plums combine with the tart lemon and a bit of the bold wood to create almost a manuka honey flavor. - Conclusion - Hot take: this is an excellent dram, but Springbank 18 is better. This feels like it wants to be that rich, sherried, hedonistic whisky, but it also wants to retain its Springbank funk. Now, I've had some great whiskies that put a big sherry profile on top of a bold, funky distillate. Just look at Talisker Distiller's Edition, Ardbeg Uigeadail, or even Springbank 12 Cask Strength. These all benefited from some combination of a very strongly funky distillate and a comparatively short time in the sherry barrel. This tastes more like someone added the oloroso to Springbank, thought it was too lemony and aggressive, then doubled down until it turned rich and sweet. Now, to be clear, the result is delightful. The thing is though, that it seems like the wrong approach for Springbank to be taking when aging a spirit for this long. Some sherry could be awesome and long age can be great too - just see Springbank 12 CS and Springbank 18. Here, the mixing of the genres has not quite worked out as well as it could have. It's sort of poetic how the palate displays a bold new Springbank, but as it fades the original profile remains on the finish. I actually really enough the image that creates. But it still doesn't make me think that this was the right way to craft 21 year old Springbank. Honestly, I think the more bourbon-heavy approach with the greater cinnamon and sweetness that the Springbank 18 was pursuing had a lot of potential. But on to the comparisons. Cadenhead's Tullibardine 25 (1993) (low 19) isn't as complex as I'd like an it has some rough edges, but it has a freshness and confidence in itself that I really enjoy. This seems a bit more incoherent with some overly aggressive cask influence, but it's also more complex and interesting, and frankly enjoyable to drink. I find it a bit rough around the edges with the obvious fresh cask flavors, but I do wonder whether I would be so perturbed by those if I hadn't done so much home blending, causing them to leap out at me. I've had a similar dilemma with Garrisson Brothers, which always tastes a bit like sawdust from rapid wood chip aging to me and which I never tried before starting home blending. Anyway, these two are unfortunately closer than I'd expected them to be, but the win goes to this Springbank. Lismore 21 (19) is more complex and balanced, albeit a bit muddled and less strong with a touch of sulphur. I am finding myself strangely drawn to the Lismore here though. It seems like it knows better what it wants to be and it is comfortable being that. This is tough, but I think I'm leaning toward the Lismore. That puts this between one 19 and another 19, meaning that it should just be a 19, but let's do a couple more comparisons before calling it. Springbank 15 is still brasher with its flavors and its more out of place sherry cask (I'm actually getting some Pedro Ximenez sweetness in addition to the oloroso off of the 15 now). The cask is certainly more present here, but this one seems like its whole thing is that it went all in on the cask. Speaking of going all in on the cask: Glenfarclas 25 (23, though this bottle is a bit past its prime, so maybe a 22). The Glenfarclas is a decadent sherry bomb. Christmas in a bottle. Plus some tannins that may put some off. This has some more aggressive flavors, but it's increasingly reminding me of my own attempts to home blend and rapid age scotch. It isn't by a huge margin (though it isn't exactly small either), but the Glenfarclas is the definite winner. I mention that the margin isn't huge also in defense of my own home blending ;) Coming back the next day to finish this tasting, this still tastes over-finished, particularly in how the barrel squashes the flavors, but it's a bit less jarring. Side by side with the Lismore now, I'm leaning toward this. Springbank 18 is still substantially better than this is though. Conversely, the Tullibardine has a tighter, more coherent profile than this does, but it doesn't have as much going on. I'm now looking at a 19 to 21. Hmm, actually, that overfinished character is starting to hit me more again. One last comparison, and an odd one: El Dorado 21 (21). The two are close, but the El Dorado is more complex and coherent. I could imagine giving this a low 21 if the El Dorado were a high 21 or maybe a 22, but as it stands this seems solidly like a 20 to me. This really refines the sherry cask combined with maturity that Springbank 15 started. It balances multiple types of casks very well, making for a decadent and complex dram. This doesn't have that same taste of oloroso like someone just dumped some in the barrel that the 15 has. The combination of casks here is done very well. I'm sometimes tempted to give this a 21, but I'm sticking with a 20. This is an excellent whisky, but it just hurts to imagine Springbank taking a beautifully crafted 18 and overwhelming it with strong finishing (or whatever they did to this). The 10, 12, and 18 are definitely the Springbanks worth getting. Thanks so much @ctbeck11 for sharing this rare delicacy! Oh how I'd love to be able to have it as a staple.

2018 edition. 70% rum 30% first fill bourbon. 3,700 bottles. 46%. Color - cause you know it's a 21 springbank and they change the casks annually and don't color, it's a really rich gold/straw color. This looks HEAVILY first fill so I'm thinking a good portion of this was "fresh rum" as springbank calls it, but having a 19 year single cask fresh rum at cask strength this is darker so the bourbon has to be the driver of the color. Either way, I think we're getting fresher and younger casks than a lot of whiskies on the market and than say the recent 12 year batches which seem less and less enjoyable. Nose - salted vanilla, fresh oak, cooked vegetables, citrus fruits. The drivers are mostly the oak and the vanilla and salt. Really good nose for these casks but not exactly my favorite profile either. Taste - this is heavily distillate forward, really giving you the springbank malt with the casks just added sweetness to it. Salty, peat is pretty forward here (didn't get it on the nose), a bit vegetably (is that word?), a bit sour and bitter, and certainly some vanilla but it is not forward. The whisky then goes into this fruity and slightly bitter finish that lingers for days it feels like. There's oak and fruits and light spice. One of the absolute best finishes I've ever had in a scotch, especially a non wine cask influences or bourbon one. I do wish it had a bit more sweetness to balance with the bitter notes. I think that's where the sherry casks work best with springbank or perhaps even port. I think pure bourbon and/or rum are a bit too simple for the overpowering springbank malt. That said I'm a bit nitpicking and at 400+ a bottle please allow me to be a picky bastard. Still this is one of the best 21 year old scotches I've had, it's not my ideal profile as I tend to like heavy sherry or other wines and/or heavy peat more (even at this age I'm a peat man). That said this is already a very special bottle in my collection but I have a feeling if I ever see it the 2019 bottling will be more my wheel house. 4 stars but for the price you either need to be a springbank lover (me) or a huge fan of spirit forward older whisky.

It’s officially 2022 and I’ve decided to “Spring”bank into it with a series of samples. Continuing on my Springbank series, I have the 21-year from the 2019 release from @ctbeck11 that was matured in 55% ex-Rum casks and 45% ex-Port casks and bottled at 46%. The nose is deep and rich starting with a mix of well-aged old oak, bold berries, citrus fruits and light farm funk followed by candied pineapple and white chocolate macadamia nut cookies then a mild smoke appears as a smoldering campfire on an oceanside that fades to the background of fruits of sautéed apples, candied orange peel and cherries jubilee that transitions to vintage leather and old polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The taste is a rich mouthfeel starting with a mix of well-aged old oak, bold berries, citrus fruits and light farm funk followed dark chocolate, moderate ash and a mild drying spice that slowly fades to vanilla creme brûlée, fruits of caramelized mango, candied pineapple and cherries jubilee that transitions to vintage leather and old polished mahogany with medium ethanol burn. The finish is long with white chocolate macadamia nut cookies, charred orange, strawberry jam on toast, dark chocolate, mild ash, vintage leather and polished mahogany. For the proof, this is a big, bold and thick Springbank that really showcases old wood with a balance of tropical, berry and citrus that doesn’t overpower those traditional Springbank funk, smoke and minerality. The taste veers towards a moderate drying spice that throws off the balance but fades to those rum and port cask fruits before a long finish with baked sweets, dark chocolate, citrus, berries and that old oak. This was another incredible whisky by Springbank and a huge thank you to @ctbeck11 for being generous enough to provide a sample of this rarity.

Nose - brown sugar, dark chocolate, oily peat, black cherry, grape jam, molasses, rich oak, charred orange, toffee, vanilla cream, banana, walnut, allspice, lemon, grass, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - oily peat, grapefruit, pomegranate, orange zest, lemon, grass, pineapple, allspice, green apple, chocolate, hazelnut, brown sugar, white pepper, ginger, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium long with sour fruit, oily peat, and chocolate flavors. Here we have the 2019 release of the 21 Year, matured in 55% rum and 45% port casks. At the time, this was the most expensive bottle I had ever purchased, somewhere north of $400. I have high hopes, but is the juice worth the squeeze? The nose takes some time to open up in the glass, but once it does you’re greeted with tart, jammy grapes, cherry pie, rich brown sugar, the classic, oily Springbank funk, and a sweet tropical quality. The palate is rich and deeply citrusy. There are dark, rich fruits, chocolate, rummy banana, and more tropical flavors. Long story short, this is great but absolutely not worth the money, at least for me. I prefer all three of the 12 Year Cask Strength expressions I reviewed, and I’d happily buy three or four of those bottles for the same price as this one. As the 21 Year is a batch product, I could very well enjoy a different version much more than this. Given my history with rum and port finished whiskies, I probably would prefer a more traditional sherry and bourbon cask release.

Disclaimer: I like port and smoke. I love Springbank.. This is the most interesting scotch I personally own. It’s I believe? the only bottle I’ve given 5 stars to. This has all the classic SB character with much more sophistication. Dark fruit notes and some tropical influence though not as much to me as other rum cask whiskies and a touch of smoke that’s perfectly subdued. I love it. With so many enjoyable sub $100 bottles available, it’s hard to splurge sometimes and even worse when you regret it. I can say there’s been zero remorse with this. I wish I had the funds for more as who knows when they’ll do a port/rum batch again (each years release seems to be different) but some things aren’t meant to have forever I suppose. 2019 Edition - 45% Port/55% Rum casks (46% ABV)

Ok a rare lazy moment can anyone tell me where I can find the dates on the Springbanks? I've asked retailers and bar staff but no luck...I suspect it might be like Longrow 18 (we sure hunted for that date) so I might have to borrow the bottle for a while as the whiskey bar staff couldn't find it. Anyhow whatever year (i suspect 2018 as tastes rum and bourbon), lovely dram. Is it worth the money? HELL NO not at $250USD. Buy two Dingles, maybe 3. It's perfect classic SB but maybe too clean, I like a bit of 15 yr sherried sulphur tinted mongrel and this isn't that. Still very very nice. Viscous lovely married bourbon rum.