Tastes

Springbank Tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 15 February 2023. Whisky #4. Tasting of a bottle from batch 14/12/21 bottle code 21/207. Nose: Earthy, farmyard-fermented hard apple cider, acetone, lemon drops, juniper (!), anise (!). The smell of the sea around a small wooden-boat shipyard: brine, diesel fuel, tar and anti-foul paint. There is also a very light jasmine floral tone flitting around the edges. What a great nose! Palate: Sweet, earthy and slightly briny arrival with grilled lemons and unfiltered olive oil on fresh-baked bread. All it needs is some charcoal-grilled pork and … yes! There it is. A little more sweetness emerges mid-palate together with some ginger and pepper spice. The texture is creamy but there is also an almost spritzy quality. Wonderful. Finish: Long. Crisp cereal, fruity malt and spices (anise again and some peppermint) with stone-fruits making a late appearance. What a great whisky. Really excellent, and for me the best thing we tasted on the night that is commercially available. It is highly distillate driven with the ex-bourbon casks used for maturation being barely detectable. I bet they were all refill barrels, which has really allowed the spirit to sing without interruption. Water initially kills the nose stone dead but don’t panic. Leave it to rest and you will find that after five minutes or so the bouquet deepens and broadens wonderfully. After a while it’s like walking into a veritable cave of aromas. Similarly, the palate loses absolutely nothing but gains integration and depth from subtle dilution. I’d strongly recommend a dash of water for this whisky, but it can drown easily so just add a few drops. This was produced using Belgravia barley sourced from a local Campbeltown farm and the staff at Springbank hated making these Local Barley spirit runs. The grain is apparently very difficult to work with and it causes multiple problems throughout the production cycle. This whisky briefly appeared for sale here a few weeks ago but almost instantly disappeared. Initially it was AUD$230 (which I would have paid in a heartbeat) but it is now trading for well over $1,000 - a price worthy of naught but derision. “Excellent” : 89/100 (4.75 stars)

Springbank Whisky Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 17 April 2024, Whisky #2 This tasting was from a 2023 batch, the bottle code being 6/2/23 23/43. Nose: Oloroso sherry, stewed fruit compote, raisins, dark cherries, orange liqueur and a mild but expansive peat smoke. A whiff of gunpowder that becomes a little too obvious over time. Palate: Oily, creamy, rich and leathery from the first drops. The brine from freshly shucked oysters, sweet malt extract, apricot jam, medium sherry, dark chocolate, touches of curry spices and good oak (but there is no tannic intrusion). In the later palate there is a distinct smoky note and this becomes more apparent with each sip. The texture never retreats, coating the mouth and persisting into the aftertaste. Finish: Medium/Long. Relaxed and soothing with sweet malt and earth lingering into the mildly smoky aftertaste. Springbank 15 year old is similar in many ways to the 10 year expression but with greater fortified wine influence, more dark fruit and more sophisticated smoke. This is 100% sherry cask matured (probably in a combination of 1st and 2nd fill) and it has a polish and refinement that for me represents the point of maturity where Springbank really shines. The only issue I had with this 2023 batch was some sulphur on the nose that becomes intrusive over time. I did not notice this on the excellent 2022 batch so I’m rating this one a percentage point lower. The price is, of course, now completely out of control. In Australia it has almost tripled over the last six years. “Very Good” : 87/100 (4.25 stars) ---------------------------------------------- Springbank Tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 15 February 2023. Whisky #3. Tasting of a bottle from batch 14/04/22. Nose: An immediate aroma of sherry, with dried fruits, toasted walnuts and violets in the background. Warm, rich and deeply floral tones with evolving malt and treacle. A dash of water and some time to rest brings forward a soft tarry, maritime and mineral facet that is quintessentially Springbank. Palate: Warm, blanketing and creamy in the arrival, this textural quality persists through into the aftertaste. Dates, plums and that almost apricot flavour you get from the finest grade of semi-dried white Greek figs. As it develops the palate gains peaty notes and a deep earthy note that is reminiscent of damp forest-floor humus and farmyards (not that I’ve ever eaten either!). Finish: Medium. Semi-sweet and earthy with a tiny touch of lemon zest. A very good example of Springbank 15. It's different in profile to last year’s expressions - each has features that are good and, well, less-good, but the overall level of quality is the same. This was a stand-out among the core-range whiskies on the night. It’s delicious neat and very good with water, which develops a distinct tarry quality on the nose and brings out more peat smoke on the palate. Water does, however, also introduce a slightly drying sour note on the palate and emphasizes a slight citrus bitterness on the finish so it is up to individual taste which is the best way to take it. I preferred it with a dash of water (which is generally my preference) but the person sitting next to me much preferred it neat. Horses for courses. … but the cost! This was initially available (for about 5 minutes earlier this year when the allocations landed) at the recommended retail price of AUD$230, but it is now selling retail from one or two local outlets for AUD$540 or more. Utter insanity. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars) ---------------------------------------------- [Previous review as posted on May 28, 2022] Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank & Kilkerran evening, May 28 2022. Whisky #2 Tasting of a late 2021 release (sorry, did not get the lot number). Nose: Floral (sandalwood and lemongrass), sherry, grapes, brown sugar, earth, apple skins, balsamic vinegar, coffee. The nose is less forceful than previous batches but it is still very good and well balanced with a full, satisfying roundness and just a breeze of peat smoke. Palate: Vegetable oil, sherry, malt, lemon, Brussels sprouts, marmalade. The development brings in more vegetal and cereal notes with porridge, brine, ash and wet stones. Iodine (just a hint) chalk and bitter grapefruit grilled with honey. Towards the finish the angular notes tend to merge into a generalized malty profile. The texture is good – oily, creamy and velvety. A dash of water makes it almost erotic. Finish: Medium. The palate diminishes quickly into a slightly metallic and flinty aftertaste. The only whisky of the night that I thought truly did justice to the potential of this great distillery. Commanding at first nosing and forceful on the initial taste, it did, however, tend to lose presence on subsequent tastes. There was a touch of sulphur via an asparagus-like flavor but it was too subtle to be intrusive, and anyway it's typical of Springbank's distillate profile. A very good whisky, but like everything I tasted tonight I thought it was unreasonably pushing the boundaries of affordability, and even if this had been available to buy I would not have spent the requisite $200+ to obtain a bottle. Oh, maybe ... I don't know. Springbank has become very expensive and we enthusiasts are at least partly to blame. Looking on the bright side there are many other whiskies at this price point that are better, and many more that are just as good and way cheaper, so while expressions like this might be hard to find and expensive right now, we are still spoiled for choice with contemporary whisky. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars) [AUD$225 per Bottle in 2022] ---------------------------------------------- [Original review on Distiller, September 17, 2017.] Scotland, September 2017. Whisky #5, distillery tasting. I've been meaning to review this for ages but it has been a while since I last had a bottle, so sitting with a dram of it in Cadenhead's tasting room in Campbeltown seems the ideal time. The 15 is aged entirely in sherry casks (many types) instead of a combination of bourbon and sherry as is the case with the 10 year old. At heart it is very like the 10 year old but with a more dark-fruity and complex character. There is also more coconut, toasted cereal, caramel and leather. The sherry influence permeates the distillate rather than covering it like a winey blanket. It's the same elegant act displayed in Old Pulteney 21 and Glenfarclas 15. I think of the Springbank 10 and 15 year olds as being different facets of the same new-make spirit rather than an older and younger brother. The vegetal, fruity, mineral and briny notes are all still there in the 15, but there is also a more relaxed and autumnal feel. Buy a bottle and enjoy one of the great experiences in whisky. "Excellent" : 88/100 (4.5 stars) [AUD$145.0 per Bottle in 2017] ----------------------------------------------

Springbank Whisky Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 17 April 2024, Whisky #1 This tasting was from a 2023 batch, the bottle code being 6/2/23 - 23/31. Nose: Orange oil, leather, earth, brine. Adding water makes the bouquet more floral. Palate: The arrival is briny and a little spicy with ginger and gristy barley leading the flavours. Citrus zest and more brine show in the development along with a light smoke note. The texture is oily. Finish: Medium/Long: Spicy leather turning just a touch sour in the aftertaste. This was my second favourite whisky of the night which is not surprising as Springbank 10 is always a dependable dram. The palate was excellent but the nose was outstanding and definitely the best part of the experience. The palate seemed a little less complex in comparison and lacked the balance I expect from this whisky when neat, but adding a drop of water changed all that. This expression really benefits from dilution. The nose flourishes like a flower unfurling into bloom and the palate gains a touch of sweetness which removes the trace sourness in the neat aftertaste. More importantly, the whisky gains a formidable depth of integration and balance which makes its innate complexity obvious and a joy to experience. Then again, I expect that once opened for a few weeks a bottle of this would have the same sort of depth and balance when neat - Springbank loves to oxidise. I rated this at 87/100 when neat but adding water lifts it by a percentage point. 10 year old Springbank has been evolving very well over recent years and this is one of the best I’ve tasted for some time. Always an unquestioned solid recommendation on the basis of quality, but the price in Australia is now around $250 (when you can find it) which is pretty outrageous. Then again, unlike the 2022 batches, I think the expense is justified. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars) Note: This is a repeat tasting but I no longer post multiple reviews of the same drink. My previous reviews for Springbank 10 have been deleted from Distiller but the text appears below. -------------------------------------------------------- Springbank Tasting at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 15 February 2023. Whisky #2. Tasting of a bottle from batch 23/03/22. Nose: Freshly milled cereal, a mild floral vanilla note, gently maritime, a little lemon oil and damp earth with light aromas of plastic and putty. Palate: The arrival is full, robust and all on cereal and malt with vanilla and gentle oak tannins. The development brings out the earthy, farmyard qualities of the distillate and there is a hint of peat smoke but it is quite shy. The texture is good, but on the thin side for a Springbank. Finish: Medium. Cereal grain sweetness fading to slight citrus bitterness. Springbank is now famously difficult to get hold of so, as I did last year, I went to a formal tasting evening to check out the current releases. This one is less demonstrative than the 2021 batches, particularly when first poured, but a little water and some time in the glass deepens and broadens the profile a good deal. At first this 2022 expression may seem unusually light and floral, but add half a teaspoon of water to a dram, let it sit for 20 minutes and the familiar Springbank character is back. Water does slightly emphasise a plastic quality in the peat smoke at first (but this is not uncommon with many peated whiskies), however allowing this whisky to sit and rest in the glass ameliorates the effect and ultimately brings the most improvement. This is not surprising as Springbank always develops well in the bottle over time as the level goes down and it oxidizes. This is good as always, but not quite up to last year’s standard, and last year’s I thought was also diminished in comparison to previous batches. Once I used to rate this expression at 4.25 at least, but the score has been steadily dropping over the years and this time round it’s down to 3.75. Sadly, the price is rising in inverse proportion to the quality level, and at the current retail price of AUD$189 it is no longer desirable. There was a single bottle available for sale last night, by ballot. but even if I had won I would not have bought it. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars) -------------------------------------------------------- Previous review posted May 28, 2022 Tasted at The Oak Barrel Springbank & Kilkerran evening, May 28 2022. Whisky #1. Tasting of a 2021 batch (sorry, I did not get the lot number) Nose: Smoked white fish, plaster, mud, a seaside farmyard, apple peel, malt extract, grilled tangerine, subtle and relaxed peat reek. Palate: Malt, citrus fruit, unripe berries, chalk in the arrival, which is unusually both sweet and dry simultaneously. The development sees brine, green peppercorns and soy arising as a combined umami quality, but it is not an intense palate. The texture is oily and creamy. Finish: Medium. Oily, citrus and earthy malt. This still a great whisky but it is lacking in comparison with earlier versions, and was just a little to "easy" overall. Consequently I'm dropping my rating from the 4.5 I gave it in 2017 [review now deleted] to 4. Earlier "orange label" batches from around 2019-2020 had a citric brightness that contrasted excellently with the core Springbank farmyard-earthy quality. They were some of the best releases of this expression but that quality has now diminished. Similarly, in comparison to "black-label" pre-2018 bottlings, the rich, oily intensity for which this whisky was famed has reduced. The current asking price is also exorbitant for a 10 year old whisky. Benromach 10 year old, while not *quite* as characterful as this whisky, gets you 90% of the way there for literally half the price. Springbank has been very hard to get hold of locally for a couple of years now so I went to this tasting specifically to see what the current releases are like. On the whole the quality is still very high and it was an impressive tasting, but it was not mind-blowing, and Springbank always should be. “Very Good” : 86/100 (4 stars) [AUD$165.0 per Bottle in 2022] --------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Fresh barley, crisp malt, juicy grapes, red berries, apples, sprightly oak cask and just a hint of cinnamon. The port cask contribution is subtle and very successful. I liked this nose a lot when neat, and adding a dash of water mutes the port influence a little, allowing the malt character to come forward, and it develops some honey. Palate: Sweet, oily arrival mainly on orchard fruits and berries. Sweeter fruits come forward in the development and pepper, ginger and cinnamon spices appear, together with crisp tannins from the cask that show as walnuts and bitter chocolate. There is also a flavor like hot butterscotch or honeycomb. Adding water really does good things to this dram. The hot spice is lowered a good deal and the texture becomes velvety, mouth-coating and soft. Just enough ginger remains, however, so don’t fear watering this one – it can swim. Finish: Medium/long. Fruit and wine flavours segueing into a dash of hot ginger with a little astringency. When watered the finish is substantially the same, but just dialed down a fraction. This is a good example of port maturation. The port pipes were used to modulate and soften the distillery character without swamping the whisky in wine. Vinous aromas and flavours are certainly present, but they have a supporting role that adds colour and character without being overly prominent. The bourbon casks that provided most of the maturation environment are still clearly apparent. The nose is very much a classic whisky profile, but with just a tinge of wine influence that adds depth and body. The palate is a balance between sweet and hot/bitter spice which is again a classic whisky style, but here emphasized by grape tones. The finish is a touch hot, but very satisfying. Great stuff and a good example of Tomatin. It’s a distillery that in my experience can be inconsistent, but when they are good they are very good. This is a great “winter warmer” whisky. “Good” : 84/100 (3.75 stars)

NOTE: This review was first posted on Distiller six years ago when there was no listing for this specific expression of Bowmore 15. I’m transferring it here as I just noticed that this correct listing now exists. This whisky was discontinued in 2017 but 15 year old expressions of Bowmore are still bottled as core-range. Some are just called Bowmore 15, others also have names such as “Dark & Intense” and “Golden & Elegant”, and there are occasional limited editions. -------------------------------------------------- [Review from April 20, 2017] Nose: Overbearing cedarwood and mineral oil and a strong oily aroma that resembles nothing so much as furniture polish - or maybe shoe polish. Palate: The taste is as unappealing as the nose. A strong cherry cough-syrup and resinous wood flavour resulting from the marrying of assertively peat-smoked spirit with active and sulphurous sherry casks. Finish: Long. Asphalt, resin and tannin. Firm proof that one man's meat is another man's poison. I think this is one of the most unpleasant whiskies I've ever tasted and it is one of the few highly regarded whiskies I've tried that I loathe. It's not badly made, but it has a profile that is particularly repellent to me. That’s just my opinion, and if you happen to love this whisky then be happy that there is one less consumer out there trying to buy it. "Poor" : 60/100 (1 star) [AUD$120.00 per Bottle] --------------------------------------------------

Nose: Corn syrup, some over-roasted peanuts and some sort of alcohol. Flavour: Corn syrup, a hint of mild chili, something vaguely like peanuts, but not quite. Rough alcohol. Finish: Medium. Sweet and slightly bitter simultaneously. Fades out to corn syrup on the aftertaste. This is not whiskey, not even a flavoured whiskey. It contains a lot of sugar and is more accurately designated as a liqueur. It probably does contain whiskey, but remember that there is no minimum time period for maturation of American whiskey, so the spirit in this may be little more than new-make. As for the profile, it smells slightly more like peanut butter than it tastes, which is not saying much, and neither the nose nor the palate is anything to remember with joy. Overall, it gave me the impression of suggesting peanut butter rather than actually delivering that aroma and flavor. This is something I would like to shoot at parties, preferably with a projectile weapon of some sort. “Inferior” : 65/100 (1.5 stars)

NOTE: This review was first posted three years ago but has been transferred from another listing. Arran tasting night at The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 12 July 2019. Whisky #3 [The whisky is now discontinued. It was included in the 2019 tasting as a retrospective]. Nose: Clean barley malt and fragrant fruit are the immediate impressions. Peaches, mango, honeydew melon, baked apples, vanilla, ginger syrup and a hint of mint, however the aromas are more rounded than in younger Arran expressions. Here there is a sense that they have been stewed together to create a complex sweet sauce or glaze. There's also a cooked grapey note reminiscent of cognac or armagnac coming from the sherry casks. Palate: A very sweet, creamy arrival followed by a rich, fruity and mouth-filling development. Crème brûlée and malt syrup, stewed fruits (apricots, peaches, nectarines and pears), orange conserve, hazelnut and toasted almonds. The texture is excellently oily and creamy. It's the most obviously rich and fruity Arran palate and if there is a fault it is that it can seem one-note sweet after a while. Fortunately this is ameliorated by a touch of oaky tannin and some warm spice. Finish: Medium/long. Sweet malt, fading to a slightly dry aftertaste with dry sherry and tannic notes, some nutmeg and salt. Arran's 14 year old expression contains all of the elements that are notable in its younger whiskies, but here they are larger, more rounded, sweeter and richer. The characteristic distillery ginger and white pepper spice is much tamed here, and the fruity sweet notes are thick and unctuous. Water broadens the texture even further and is interesting, but not required. The last expression of this I tasted was an older batch and it had a more herbal character. That earlier review is attached below. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Originally reviewed December 2, 2017 Nose: A very fresh cereal aroma with grapefruit, barley sugar and a soft underscore of armagnac. There are light floral touches, but also a lot of herbal and grassy notes - mint, crushed camelia leaves, sencha, freshly chopped ginger. As the nose develops bush orchid, honeydew melon and eucalyptus become apparent. A little oak in the background and a subtle cloud of brine that you don't notice until after the second or third sip. An interestingly different nose - floral, but not at all heavy or sweet - "dry grassy floral" if you will. Palate: A citrus-sweet and slightly spicy arrival develops into a mouth-filling palate that is full of wonderful cereal and light fruit flavours. Milk chocolate, malt and stewed fruits, but there is a light touch overall. Rinsed preserved lemons and hazelnuts. Finish: Medium, and turning satisfyingly salty. Some fruity and nutty flavours linger. This is a very well balanced, creamy malt with a subtle but assured character, and for me the nose is the outstanding part of the performance. Really excellent, it rewards time and patience. Water is not necessary, but a drop or two enhances the neat character. Adding a whole teaspoon changes the character more noticably, but in a good way. The nose becomes rounder and richer and the oak comes forward from it's supporting role in the background. On the palate, adding water softens and enhances both the sweet and spicy flavours and in the finish it redefines the saltiness, turning it salt-sweet and making barley sugar the final flavour. A class act overall, and deserving of a solid 4 stars. This is not a malt to hurry or even an everyday dram - it's one to ponder in the company of good music. "Very Good" : 86/100 (4 stars) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Nose: Butter, sweet sherry, malt extract, very good oak, pipe tobacco, leather jacket, nut n’ raisin milk chocolate, anise and black tea. There is the faintest possible note of peat smoke, but it just adds depth and does not stand out. It’s certainly not what you would call a “peated whisky” and although the smoke note does increase a little over time in the glass it remains a facet of the tobacco and leather notes. Palate: Exceptionally soft arrival with caramel, vanilla and fudge carried on a wave of malted sherry. Exquisite and captivating from the first sip. The palate develops rich dried dark fruits, black cherries, red berries, sweet citrus and a touch of mixed spice. The texture is creamy and there is a luxurious, seductive and mouth-watering juiciness to the palate. Finish: Medium/long. Soft, supple malt that drifts off on a carpet of sherry, chocolate, tobacco and vanilla. This whisky reeks of very good oak cask. It’s not cask-dominated (although the profile is certainly cask-driven) but it presents fragrant aromas that remind me of walking through a dunnage warehouse, full of the smells of earth, black mould and sherry. It is, simply, a superior sherry-bomb and remarkably it also presents a great deal of bourbon-oak quality. I do not know the provenance of the barrels but I bet they were first fill sherry casks raised up from ex-bourbon staves. There appears to be little or no European wood influence here. There is a family resemblance to the 12 year old GlenDronach but this is a more assured and “mature”whisky in every sense. It is also very like Macallan 12 from back (way back) in the day. It also has similarities to the 18 year old GlenDronach (not surprisingly) but that has a more austere, dry and nutty profile. This tasting is from a 2020 batch, which was matured in a combination of oloroso and PX sherry casks. The previous version of this whisky that was produced up until 2015 was exclusively oloroso cask matured but that changed when the expression was reintroduced in 2018. I have not tasted the pre-2016 expression for a long time but I think these new bottlings are a little more “floral” and sweeter. It’s still a great whisky and one I would recommend. At the price it is fair value for a 15 year old single malt in 2023. “Very Good”: 86/100 (4 stars)