More Springbank samples have arrived, presenting a challenging decision on where to begin. We'll start with this distinctive bottle from five years ago, a nine-year-old that matured for its final five years in a Gaja Barolo cask. I own a bottle of this myself, but it's always beneficial to sample from another's before committing to opening an unknown quantity. Springbank wine finishes can be inconsistent but are consistently intriguing. This one opens with a raspberry aroma, indicating the cask's significant influence. The fruity profile continues in the mouth with sweet cherry flavors, complemented by minty and oily sensations. The finish offers shortbread, strong black tea, walnuts, and more cherries. Intriguing and worth a couple of glasses, though not as impressive as some of the Longrow Reds.
Springbank Barolo Finish 9 Year
Whiskey Scotch Scotland 9 year 54.7% ABV
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About this bottle
Springbank Distillers, which produces Springbank, Hazelburn, and Longrow, is under the ownership and management of Hedley G. Wright, representing the fifth generation of the Mitchell family. Archibald Mitchell founded Springbank in 1828 in Campbelltown, Scotland. The complete whiskey production process occurs on-site at the Springbank distillery, involving floor malting of barley, kilning for 30 to 48 hours, milling with a 1940s Porteous mill, and mashing in a mash tun. The liquid is subsequently fermented in wooden wash backs and twice-distilled with an additional half distillation in a copper still. This 9-year expression spends four years in refill bourbon barrels followed by five years in Barolo wine casks. Distilled in February 2004 and bottled in 2013 at 109 proof (54.7% ABV), 11,000 non chill-filtered bottles were released. The bottling includes water sourced from the Campbelltown hills and contains no added coloring.
Reviews
Showing the most detailed of 4 parsed reviews.
Nose - A bit hot, with sweet soot and grape skins; sweet plums (with water). Heat is reduced, otherwise unchanged. Taste - A bit hot, with ashy/sooty peat, berries, and plum bitters (with water). Less heat, with plum bitters, ashy sweetness, red berries, and red grape skins. Finish - Hot, with ash/soot and sweet plums (with water). Same, but with reduced heat. Score - 89/100 Final Thoughts - This definitely improved with a bit of water. The addition of the ashy/sooty smoke adds complexity to this dram. It has a sweet plum bitter quality, but with a nice hint of sweet red grape skin tannins. A bit hot at times, but otherwise very pleasant. Would I drink it if offered? - Yes Would I specifically order it? - Yes Would I buy a bottle? - Maybe NOTE - All reviews are done without factoring in price.
A Rubik's Cube. That was my first impression when tasting this whisky. It's confusing and a bit much. Honestly, I was unsure if I liked it or disliked it. If this was the goal of the distillery... well done! They succeeded in creating something that would make me think for a while. The subtle notes of peat, smoke, and salt seemed familiar, but the rest did not. There were notes of chocolate, earth, and maybe raspberries, but more importantly, there were significant notes of 'What the heck?'. It actually took a second tasting to recognize the absolute brilliance of this whisky, especially on the palate and finish, because the nose is the weaker aspect of this expression. Still... well done.
Herbaceous, lightly peated, and brown sugar on the nose. An oily mouthfeel, with semi-sweet dark chocolate emerging, combining a hint of sweetness and salt on the palate. Oak tannins on the finish leave a slight bitterness, but it's otherwise a masterpiece.
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