Springbank 10 Year

An interesting and complex dram. The nose is deceptively sweet, white grapes and peaches. I get that in the tip of the tongue too, but wonder if it was more my expectation than the actual taste. Oil and sea brine take over immediately and cinnamon sets in toward the end. The finish is rich and warm as the latter 3 notes linger and mellow and learn to play nice

Peat is at the front here and it lingers throughout. The flavor is rich with prominent fruit and floral notes that pop at the beginning and then fade while maintaining a mild presence. Vanilla, on the other hand, is present throughout. The sweetness is greater than expected, but the brine offsets it and no cherry syrup comes through, putting it a but above the Ardbeg Uigeadail. This is a good Scotch with depth, but a bit more variation throughout its duration would have been nice. Also, the flavors do not completely mesh. The sweet notes are composed largely of mild flowers, pears, and cinnamon. This drink is fun and terrifically ablanced. There are peat, smoke, brine, and sweetness immediately present. Impressively, none dominates the others, making this drink very balanced. It is a lot like the Highland Park Valkyrie and I enjoy it greatly. Wood and iodine flavors are in no way overwhelming. There is a bit of something that is savory and burnt and the finish is rich, but not too bitter. There is a lot of oil, but it doesn't taste rancid. Drinking this immediately following Macallan Rare Cask, this is a delight. The Macallan Rare Cask is very good, but this sets a whole new bar. The balance among all sorts of Scotch flavors is supreme. Oban 14 is down; bring it on Highland Park 18! This drink compares favorably to St. George Single Malt with its terrific richness and hints of orange sweetness mixed with a salty sea spray and some mild but bitter dark chocolate and smoke backing that is tinged with a little peat. Floral notes dance through in a delightful manner. This is truly a great drink, but it is difficult to appreciate in some circumstances. There is no particular note here that stands out in an iconic manner, but the drink overall is quite good with a great deal of complexity. There is some rich smoke that is enhanced by some balanced peat. The flavor is on the rich side without being too aggressive or tasting terribly old. There is a bit of a spicy note, but it is just enough to say "hey, I'm here", not enough to come off as aggressive. There is a cereal, slightly mineral backing with some hints of red fruit popping in and out at first and being replaced by orange as it nears the finish. The finish is a bit on the bitter side and the mineral flavor is more salt than flowers, but it may be a bit too salty and there is undeniable vanilla, especially on the nose. There is a lot of complexity here, but not all of the notes land. I'll need another pour to evaluate this better. There's something a bit herbal and medicinal going on too with some licorice and surprisingly prominent mint. The complexity is really good and does well at selling this drink, but the flavor needs more refinement. It's much less peaty than Laphroaig 10, but it has a similar flavor profile with cereal mixed with some sea breeze and herbal notes. I do wish the orange or some other tasty note had a bit more punch, but the cereal presence is kind of fun. The finish is long and tasty. This is maybe somewhere between Macallan 15 and Laphroaig 10. It's great, but falls shy of being a masterpiece. There is so much more depth an complexity than in Laphroaig 10. It doesn't have that gut punch, but it does have a more balanced flavor with some beautifully married flavors. There's a ton going on here and the only clear downside is that it tastes so young. That drawback included, this tastes somewhere between Laphroaig 10 and Highland Park 18. The Highland Park is still better, but this is an astonishingly good statement for its price point. Laphroaig has nothing on Springbank at the 10 year age! I wish it had a more mature flavor, but this is an excellent sign of what is to come.

No discernable heat at all, light smoke, orange peel. Very rich. Very good.

This was a VERY solid scotch. It was fruity, briny, sweet and hints of sour. It reminded me of a cloudy beach day with hints of summer farm. Very good and highly recommended.