Springbank 12 Year Burgundy Wood

A sample of this wild Lowland spirit was given to me by a friend. It's a 2016 limited edition, Springbank 12 year old that spent its entire maturation in Spanish, red wine casks. I had considered pitting it against the Tullibardine 228, also finished in red wine barrels, but their profiles are too dissimilar to make it a fair contest. This Springbank is close to full strength, hitting a potent 53.5% ABV. It presents as a clear, rose-gold liquid that leaves long, thin legs in the glass. The aroma is among the most unusual I've encountered in a malt. The earthy, farm-like funk is dominated by red wine and balsamic vinegar notes. It reminded me of a saba a chef acquaintance once provided; he explained saba as reduced grape must, a sweet syrup used in Italian cooking. It's peculiar and distinctive. A hint of oak and warmth from the high alcohol are present, but the funk is primary. The taste is also intensely fruity, featuring strawberries, grapes, and melon, with a significant kick from the alcohol. Oak and some floral notes can be detected, but they require careful swirling on the palate and enduring the heat to even faintly perceive. That's the signature Springbank character, though it's really struggling against the red wine funk to make itself known near the end. The finish echoes the nose: intensely funky with damp hay and grapes, lingering long after the taste has gone. It persists beyond palate cleansers like water, vanilla wafers, or saltines. This whisky's staying power rivals that of some of the smokiest Islay spirits I've sampled, which is remarkable. As for a rating, I'm uncertain. It's a fantastic demonstration of wine cask maturation and a daring move by Springbank, sacrificing their typical flavor profile. Tasting it blind, I wouldn't have guessed it was theirs. My main reservation is that, in my opinion, it leans so heavily towards brandy that I nearly lost sight of its identity as scotch. I believe this might confuse the average whisky enthusiast. While I acknowledge adding water could temper it, I adhere to the principle of tasting spirits as the distillery intended them. With a full bottle, I might experiment with water later to see if it opens up, but I wanted to experience this one 'as is,' which might have been overwhelming. My thanks to the individual who shared this pour. Its flavor is potent, though I feel it falls slightly short as a whisky, and even as a Springbank. It earns 4.5 stars on its own merits, but I must reduce it for being excessive. 4 to 4.25 stars.

I took count of my backlog of samples, and it turns out I have over 70...SEVENTY!! I’m really slacking. Some of them go back over a year. I really need to put in some overtime on these things. This one comes from by way of a friend. This Springbank was aged for 12 years in Burgundy casks. Bottled at 53.5% ABV and is non chill filtered and natural color of a dark amber. The nose is sweet on top with the classic Springbank funk underneath. Light vegetal peat, sulfur, very aromatic. Rich burgundy notes as well as salted caramel, chocolate and vanilla. Mixed berry pie filling, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries, maple and toffee. Meaty, more of that Springbank funk and Worcestershire sauce. Mineral notes, herbal, hay. Water isn’t needed but I added some anyway to see what would happen. A bit of orange citrus and not much else. Much better without water. Plenty of heat on the arrival but a good heat. Earthy peat, pepper. Dark berries, dense grain breads, oak, wine notes and red grapes. Salted caramels, mineral funk and a bit of mint. Water brings out something akin to nuttiness, but I’m not sure if that’s it. Also a little tobacco. Again, no water needed here, much better neat. A medium to full bodied mouthfeel that is oily and mouth coating. The finish is medium long with that Springbank funk, winey, grapes, berries, mineral notes and dry. Definitely a Springbank, no doubts there. The question is how I feel about it. I’m constantly barraged with others glowing opinions about this distillery, but I haven’t decided if I like it or not. I didn’t care for the 12 CS, the 13 Green was good but very odd, but I did have a 24 year old from Maltman that was exquisite. I’ve got a bottle of the 10 year old, plus a bottle of Longrow 18, but of course if I open them it will take time away from my samples...decisions decisions. This one was a good variant with the burgundy casks adding a nice level of complexity. I think I just need to try a few more to really make up my mind. As for this one, I’d give it a 3.75-4. Cheers

I recently purchased a couple of these online, probably overpaid given the current market. Nose - Classic Springbank funk. Heavy vanilla frosting, salted malt, and some dark red wine characteristics. It strongly exhibits notes akin to soy sauce alongside the typical Springbank sweet and funky profile. The distinct Springbank character is undeniable. Adding water enhances sweetness and alcohol, highlighting the influence of these wine casks. Taste - The flavor is overwhelmingly Springbank, Springbank, and more Springbank. It strongly resembles a 12 Year Old Cask Strength. Water significantly sweetens this dram, and as is common with cask strength Springbank, a couple of drops truly hit the perfect spot. The wine casks make a prominent appearance, delivering that distinct burgundy profile. Simultaneously, the whisky retains its signature Springbank funk with those salty and subtly peated notes. This is unequivocally my favorite 12-year-old (it's approximately 12.5 years old) whisky to date. It's not substantially superior to a 12 Year Old Cask Strength, and frankly, side-by-side, I'd be curious about their differences. Actually - test time. So, 56.2% ABV, which isn't my preferred 12-year-old, but it's the first one I opened. This particular 12-year-old is genuinely not one of their finest efforts; I've been sampling others, and wow. Okay, so there's a bit more bite to the funk. The finish is slightly more citrusy and lingering; the greater use of likely refill bourbon casks imparts more oak funk and bitterness. Overall, the 12 Year Old Cask Strength, as expected, provides a more old-world experience with funk, sourness, and bitterness. Meanwhile, the Burgundy cask expression is more BBQ, salty, savory, and sweeter. Regardless, I'm really enjoying this 12-year-old Burgundy wood expression. It's unmistakably Springbank (and I'm stating this because other reviews have claimed otherwise, a notion I strongly dispute, especially considering I own around 30 Springbanks), but it adds an incredible finishing touch, and I find I appreciate a depth in the finish that can sometimes be lost with more frequently used casks. 3.75

I experienced this spirit for the first time with a friend in April. I revisited it in late May after learning some significant personal news, enjoyed it at the beach in July, and have also appreciated it during quiet Saturday evenings and thoughtful Sunday afternoons. Last night, I finished a substantial pour following an extremely difficult week of witnessing the worst of human behavior. Much like my recent life experiences, this 2016 limited edition from Springbank is a complex and challenging adversary. However, the comparison ends there, as this whisky is truly beautiful and enjoyable from start to finish. The nose presents salted papaya, the rich scent of late-summer gardenia, new leather, Manuka honey, black plums, and rhubarb. As it rests, the sweet wine notes gradually subside, and the maritime character emerges as the dram opens up. The palate is thick and sweet at the beginning, with pomegranate joining the flavors from the nose. Mid-palate, brine and spice complement the deep fruitiness. Cardamom, tarragon, cayenne-dusted cashews, and crushed pepper are present. At the back of the mouth, these sensations are unified by a deep maltiness and a luxurious smoothness. This whisky has a tannic quality and a warmth that numbs the cheeks and gums. The finish is a wave of berries, seawater, nuts, and maltiness, with its warmth fading from the tongue only after several minutes. This exceptional whisky evokes thoughts of a cool day spent on a North Atlantic beach, infused with red wine. I am very pleased to have had the opportunity to taste this well-balanced and skillfully crafted single malt. Its sweetness, while enticing, never overshadows the inherent richness of Springbank. A truly memorable bottle of whisky...

The nose on this scotch reminds me more of the vineyard itself rather than the winery, if that makes any sense. The scents are earthy and suggestive of hard work out in the fields: fresh sapling wood, leather, dark soil, farm funk, and some permanent marker. I did not experience much sweetness on the nose. This felt like a slight twist on that dry, chalky distillery character. The palate is dry and slightly astringent, with a big dose of medicinal minerality again, bittersweet apple skins, mint, and herbs. On the swallow, more of the same: brine, spearmint, and dry minerality. It seems as if that distillery character or signature powered through the cask selection, or even gained strength like a hurricane over warm water, drawing the earthy and dry notes from Burgundy wine rather than the sweeter, fruitier notes. One final curiosity is that I haven't seen any discussion out there about whether the casks used were red or white wine, or a mix of both. Given that this is not a single-barrel release but in fact was several thousand bottles, the distillery easily could have done a mix of a few different types of casks (Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, etc.). My personal guess would be that there's more white than red in here, or that the reds were quite dry, because there is not a huge amount of fruit in this release. That being said, the dark color suggests that a decent proportion must be aged in red wine casks. Thanks to a friend for the sample!

Campbeltown Chronicles #3: After being whetted by Longrow CV (disappointing) and Kilkerran 12 (outstanding), I continued my Campbeltown exploration with this limited edition 12-year-old from Springbank. As expected, the burgundy cask has imparted a lovely rosewood color to the spirit, exuding warmth. The nose and flavor present a captivating blend of peat and vegetal notes, oddly reminiscent of the unique flavors I enjoy in Lock Stock & Barrel's 16-year rye. The peat intensifies to Islay levels (more than the "medium" descriptor suggests) before yielding to earthy notes that settle in the palate. Altogether fascinating and deserving of further investigation beyond my small sample.