Springbank 10 Year Local Barley (2022)

Springbank Tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, February 15, 2023. Whisky #4. Tasting of a bottle from batch 14/12/21, bottle code 21/207. Nose: Earthy, fermented hard apple cider, acetone, lemon drops, juniper (!), anise (!). The scent of the sea near a small wooden boat shipyard: brine, diesel fuel, tar, and anti-fouling paint. A very faint jasmine floral note is also present around the edges. What a magnificent nose! Palate: A sweet, earthy, and slightly briny arrival with grilled lemons and unfiltered olive oil on freshly baked bread. It just needs some charcoal-grilled pork and... yes! There it is. A bit more sweetness appears mid-palate along with some ginger and pepper spice. The texture is creamy, yet it also has an almost effervescent quality. Wonderful. Finish: Long. Crisp cereal, fruity malt, and spices (anise again, and some peppermint) with stone fruits making a late entrance. What a superb whisky. Truly excellent, and for me, the best commercially available item we tasted that night. It is highly distillate-forward, with the ex-bourbon casks used for aging being barely perceptible. I suspect they were all refill barrels, which truly allowed the spirit to shine without interference. Adding water initially kills the nose completely, but do not worry. Let it rest, and you will find that after about five minutes, the bouquet deepens and expands wonderfully. After some time, it's like entering a true cave of aromas. Similarly, the palate loses nothing but gains integration and depth from subtle dilution. I highly recommend a splash of water for this whisky, but be careful as it can be easily overwhelmed, so just add a few drops. This was produced using Belgravia barley sourced from a local Campbeltown farm, and the Springbank staff disliked making these Local Barley spirit runs. The grain is apparently very challenging to work with and causes numerous issues throughout the production process. This whisky was briefly available for purchase here a few weeks ago but vanished almost instantly. Initially priced at AUD$230 (which I would have eagerly paid), it is now trading for well over $1,000 – a price deserving only of scorn. "Excellent": 89/100 (4.75 stars)