Springbank 10 Year Old Palo Cortado Cask Strength

This needs to be said: the distillery is becoming like another famous brand. They might still be crafting spirits the traditional way, but the quality has declined. Enthusiasts have depleted the supply, and popular online personalities are excessively praising these releases, posing questions like, is this the best release ever? No. This particular expression, or any recent release from the distillery, is not the best. Not even close. I haven't enjoyed a spirit from them since their older series were more affordable. I might have felt more enthusiastic about this release if I hadn't previously sampled another spirit aged in a similar cask type from a different independent bottler. That previous release was limited and expensive. I bought several bottles, and it ranks among my all-time favorites. This current 10-year-old is simply adequate. It certainly makes me recall that other spirit fondly. It differs from the standard 10-year-old, of course, but the overall enjoyment is comparable. If you can still find the standard 10-year-old at a reasonable price, it's a more sensible choice than paying a premium for this bottle. Younger spirits from this distillery don't seem to pair well with wine cask finishes. Another distillery seems better suited for such casks, and if we're calling this distillery the new Macallan, then that other distillery might as well be the new Springbank. However, I do wonder if this cask finish would have been more appropriate for this distillery's more robust distillate, perhaps as another addition to a specific series. As it stands, this spirit feels too young. You get an enhanced earthy, briny profile, which is good, but then there's an awkward combination of red fruit and peanuts, and a moderate smokiness that also feels out of place, creating a composition where the parts don't quite add up. It makes one question if they would have been better off simply bottling the regular 10-year-old at full proof. Even with their 12-year cask strength offerings, I find myself preferring those with more ex-bourbon influence over those with more ex-sherry influence. I believe, in the coming years, it will become more acceptable to offer criticism of this distillery's products. How a spirit is made is only interesting and important if the spirit actually tastes amazing. So, for now, the public service announcement is this: don't go to extreme lengths to acquire a bottle from this distillery. It might not be worth the effort.

A review is already up on top shelf whisky, but let's see. Nose - Dry, higher alcohol, and salty (very salty). Light sweetness, wine notes, and similar to Springbank 10 notes. I know a cop, but let's keep this simple: you're not reading this if you haven't had Springbank 10. Taste - The nose is simple, but the taste is really fun. This gives me banana, malt, white grapes, salt, more salt, light smoke, a touch of grape, and really nice vanilla sweetness. Yes, rich peat is coming through as I sample it. Strange sour notes don't work well for me, and it's a significant issue. I love Springbank, and this is Springbank. But this is a poor finishing on younger whisky. 2.75...a surprising score for Springbank.

A fantastic dram that brings forth notes of raspberries, salted caramel, mackerels, figs, peaches, piña coladas, raisins, sultanas, almonds, hazlenuts, cherry cola, and ginger.