Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength

Wink and Nod Boston ($14/oz). Nose of light peat, malt, some sweetness. Medium mouthfeel with a greasiness and bread note falling away to light smoke and sweetness. Medium+ finish. Complex and beautiful.

This review is for a bottle from 7/24/2017 (Batch 15) at 56.5% This is one of the dirtiest, funkiest Springbanks I’ve ever had. Of course I love it. This 12 year old tastes like a 10 year old, and its reported 70% sherry and 30% bourbon maturation, noses and tastes more like 50/50. I have another 12 year CS open to compare – batch 11 from 2015, which is one of the most sherried and elegant of the 12 CS batches that I’ve tried. I cannot decide which one I like better. Honey and mud smothers all types of fruits. Wet socks dipped in orange sorbet. Soot gingerbread cookies. This is a wild dram. If there is a complaint, this definitely needs water, like all the 12 year old cask strength Springbanks do. Without water, there are metallic notes and the finish is brutally syrupy yet bitter. This particular batch is particularly powerfully; it can withstand, and deserves, a nice teaspoon for a 1.5 pour. Score: * (unforgettable) How much does a bottle cost: $80-120 How much do I think a bottle is worth: $120

Full and rich on the nose. Woody, briny, chocolate and oil. Full-bodied and funky. Briny, oily, very medicinal. Hints of wood smoke but also banana and some tropical fruit. Medium finish. A great whisky but a lot to take in.