Tastes

I am not too experienced with rye whiskey (or bourbon for that matter), but here is my take on this one, for what it’s worth. Nose: Cinnamon, cardamom, caramel and furniture polish. Milder than I expected, though I won’t say ’refined’. Palate: Spicy - as expected. Cinnamon meets canned fruit (cocktail cherries almost). There is also a moist woody note which is hard to explain. It works though, and adds character. Finish: Pretty long. Initially winey (sherry almost) and wood oil, then a quick blast of marzipan and dark chocolate, then finally the same damp woody note from the palate lingers quite nicely. Overall: Decent balance of spice, woods and fruits. I do believe it benefits from a chunk of water (taking it to 40-45% abv) as it releases more of the tasty woody notes. I score it 3.75 (being a bit generous perhaps).

Nose: Reminds me of A’bunadh (the only other Aberlour I’ve tried, so I guess it is the destillery character I’m getting), which is positive; Cinnamon, almonds, and (red) apples. Not as ”warm” and fruity as A’bunadh, which makes sense as this is less sherried, but just as mellow and soft. Hits of toffee also. Deep sniffs reveal a slight metallic note which I actually enjoy. Overall solid impression thus far. Palate: Roasted nuts, almonds and spice. Medium sweet, and there is some fruityness (more red apples and generic ”dark fruits”). Initially there is some bitterness, but it vanishes if you keep it a few seconds and it turns to something dry and dusty almost (which actually feels rather refined and mature). Decent mouthfeel despite low abv. Palate does not fully keep up with the nose, but is still pretty good. Finish: Initial whiney feel, which slowly fades into roasted nuts, cinnamon and general maltyness. Medium short (unfortunately). Overall: Though the palate and finish did not quite reflect the quality of the nose, this is a good combination of easygoing, yet interesting (although not unique) whisky. It definitely sits at the top of 40% abv ”entry level” single malts I’ve tried thus far. I score it 3.75 (being a bit generous).

Nose: Robust. Dark peat, wet hay and leather. Very mellow. Subtile dark fruits. Little to no spicyness. Deep sniffs reveal just a tad of meaty/sulphury notes - but in a good way (i.e. no rotten eggs!). Really good nose, I could sniff this for hours. Palate: Sweet wet hay. Herbs (basil?). Less fruits than on the nose. No spices but I do pick up woody notes such as cedar. It continues to be mellow and there is little to no tung-burn without being watery (it actually sits really well at 43% abv). Finish: Dusty leather and woods. Some sweet smoked meat. Medium/long lasting. Overall: Probably one of the most solid widely available standard bottelings out there. It’s not overly complex, yet it is unique without being pretensious. The nose is the best part of this whisky though neither palate nor finish is far behind. I score it 4.25, which may look like a ”low” mark to some, but I tend to be a bit conservative when I rate (especially 4 and above), and I do consider it a really great whisky.

I think this is the 2018/2019 edition. It’s 54.8% abv (and based on what I’ve read it’s 50/50 burbon/sherry cask mix). Nose: Surprisingly fresh! I certainly pick up sherry notes, but also grapes, apples and pears. It also has a dry chalk-like/limestone character to it which is really nice. The peat is certainly there but not cloying. Palate: Lighter than expected. Decently refined with fruity notes (red and green apples mainly) and a slightly malty character. Sooty peat - rather light. Signature Springbank ”funk” (think rubber hose and synthetic oil…) though less than in other Springbanks I’ve tried. After a while just a tad of darker fruits. Finish: More of that chalk-like character from the nose. Green apples. Touch of sweet broth. Sooty peat. Just a tad of rubber. Overall: On the one hand it’s well-crafted and offers decent complexity. On the other hand it’s not the sledge-hammer you expect from a Springbank at CS, and in that regard it feels a bit underwhelming. Also, the more Springbanks I try the more I realize that I am not that exciting over those funky notes as some are. That said I actually appreciate the overall style of this whisky (lightly peated, burbon/sherry mix). Overall I score it 3.75 on the back of it being well-crafted and aligned with many of my preferences, and it’s not far away from a higher mark. That said I did swing back and forth with this one and at some points I wanted to score it lower (tried it heads-up against Lagavulin 16 and it suddenly tasted like the sweet-like odour of burning/melting plastic…), but sometimes also higher. It does balance on a thread…

My dad always kept a bottle of this at home when I grew up and it naturally became the first whisky I tried in my late teens/early twenties. Hence I for long associated it with the taste of wkisky (not at that time realizing that whiskies indeed can taste quite differently...). I then did not try it for 10+ years but here we go. Nose: Malty and not as fruity as I expected (Speyside, Glen-something). A touch of yeast (?) Slightly bitter. Hay and just a touch of marzipan. Not that there are no fruits there at all, some sre surely present (maily apples - red and green, but not very profound). Palate: Very malty, which I on the one hand like and on the other experience as quite one-dimensional. A bit bitter, to the extent that is negative. Slightly reminiscent of beer (?!). But there is a honey sweetness too, partially balancing the bitterness. Overall a tad thin and I can pick up some minor taste of alcohol. Finish: Longer than expected. Again malty. Some roasted nuts. Dark chocholate-covered marzipan. Overall: Not as undistinguished as its reputation makes it out to be and its surely better than all but a few cheaper/mid-range blends and is not a ”bad buy” in it’s price range. Yet, there are better malts out there and it struggles to hold its own if paired up with some more expensive or carefully selected cheaper malts (e.g. Old Pulteney 12). Overall I score it 2.75, potentially being a bit conservative. Let’s say that it’s a whisky in the upper tier of of ”ok” whiskies.

Nose: Caramel. Slight peat. Reminds me a bit of Oban 14. A ”nutty” fruitiness of some sort. A bit dirty overall, had a bit of a blended feel to it. Not overly impressed. Palate: Fat and oily. Spices and herbs. Some sort of nuttyness. Tobacco. A hint of peat. Significantly better than the nose. Finish: Medium long. Dark nuts, tobacco, (dark) chocholate, and leather. Overall: The nose is ok at best, whereas the palate and finish are really good. I score it 3.75 (on par with the 12yo), noting that I do have an overall soft spot for Loch Lomond’s herbal nutiness (which I’d say is a common characteristic for most of their whiskies.

Reviewing batch 66 Nose: Cinnamon, almond, and (of course) dark fruits. Clean and warm with a winey touch. Palate: More cinnamon and more dark dried fruits. Rather sweet. The spice is equally prominent as the fruit. No bitterness whatsoever (!). Very packed with taste though, really potent! Finish: Dried plums. Cappuchino with a dash of sugar sprinked with cinnamon. Long lasting and warm. Still no bitterness. Overall: I can see why this gets high ratings. Though not particularly compex, it is darn tasty with a mouthwatering warmth to it. The cinnamon note that follows from nose to finish is really nice. It is accessible and well crafted, with strong sherry notes but no oak bitterness. I score it 4.25 which to me is the score of a great whisly, and notes that it’s darn close to an even higher mark.

Nose: Distinct exotic fruit note; ripe pineapple, lychee, and mango. There is also sweet and warm honey. Behind all this is a nutty base which is hard to describe (but very typic for Loch Lomond) perhaps roasted hazelnuts pairled with marzipan? Really good nose on this one. Palate: Rich and full-bodied (booster by the proof level). Thick honey and more of those lovely exotic notes from the nose, now also accompanied by a delicate touch of pear. Also slightly nutty. Finish: The honey lingers and the pinapple slowly transforms into herbal/floral notes. Long lasting. Overall: The best of the regular (at least in Sweden) Loch Lomond lineup no doubt. A solid burbon maturation with enough age to take away the bitterness and to add that lovely dry (but still somehow sweet) honey. This is paired with a characterful destilate, making an interesting and tasty whisky - truly great. I score it 4.5.

Not very experienced with Bourbon, but here goes... Nose: Fruity and a tad winey. Spicy as well (cinnamon?). Dark honey and marzipan. Quite rough and a bit dirty. Reminds me of a cheaper Cognac (?!) Palate: Burned sugars, more marzipan. Some darker fruits as well (plums, figs, etc.) - but not like in a sherried whisky, it’s rougher and less oaky. Dark honey. Finish: Burned sugar and marzipan lingers. Quite consistent with the palate; no new notes, though the spicy cinnamon note is more clear now. Overall: Less caramel and less vanilla than I’m used with in a Bourbon, and the (dark/rough) fruityness separates it from the mid-end entry-level bourbons I’ve tried before. It’s decent for sure but on the rough end for me, and does not offer sufficient nuance to compensate for it. I score it 2.75, which to me is the higher end of Ok. I would hold it above the lower-end entry-level bourbons for sure and on par with or slightly above the mid-ones (still talking entry-level).

Nose: Sour peat, yet quite fresh having a certain ”brightness” to it (lemon?). Also a touch of iodine/minerals. After resting a while in the glass, it turns a bit funkier; rubber, machine oil, and a touch of clay. Beyond the peaty notes are vanilla and caramel, though quite mild. I like it so far! Palate: Quite consistent with the nose but sweeter (a bit like artificial sweeterers) and hay-like, and also a slight salty-rock touch. A lot going on and hardly a harmonious experience (thrash metal rather than a classic symphony), with the sweetness not merging that well the funky rubbery notes imo. Like eating sweet licorice in the workshop at a farm. Finish: Sweet licorice, rubber, clay, and peat. Some salty sweetness. Medium long. At the very end there is a light touch of chocholate as well. Quite nice! Overall: Interesting and full of character, showing typical Springbank ”funk” I suppose. Yet it is a bit all over the place and a tad too raw for my taste. Still, I wouldn’t want to go as far as to say it’s not a good whisky, and I will score it 3.25 (which to me is the lower end of ”good” but surely better than just ”OK”).