Springbank 12 Year Cask Strength

Glorious richness of the Sherry. The cask strength and peat gives such complexity and smoke. Goes extremely well with Japanese oysters.

Have loved Springbank for a while and finally tracked this one down. It doesn’t disappoint. All of the great things that you love about springbank but amped up a little. More of the funk and the bourbon and sherry influence are both there. Really nice rich whisky. Glad I finally got one.

Reminiscent of ballechin 15 cask strength. Good stuff

Nose: campfire sweet brine a little metalic Taste: a sherry pop that instantly numbs then opens up to smokey salty sweet. The numb fades slowly with the sherry. This is an interesting and tasty one that deserves more tries. I look foward to savoring this bottle. This was batch 21 with the markings 08.10.20 20/127.

Side-by-side of Springbank 12 Cask Strength, batches 19 and 21, courtesy of the generous @ctbeck11 The nose of the 19 stands out as more interesting and appealing to me. Not getting a lot of sherry - seems like I'm getting more of the Springbank funk and peat shining through. The nose on the 21 seems to have a stronger fruit component, along with a floral note, while the peat seems more muted. On the palate, the 19 comes across like an amped up version of the 10-year, which is exactly what I was hoping for in this dram. There's some sherry in there, but it takes a back seat to the delicious Springbank funk and peatiness. The second sip I actually notice more sherry. I'm finding now this has a great balance between the bourbon and sherry casks, but also seems to let the funky peaty spirit show its stuff. The 21 is no slouch, but it's much more fruit forward. The funk and peat are in the backseat on this ride, but this is still quite nice. Added a little water to both. Before, I was strongly favoring the 19, but after I may actually prefer the 21. I'm now noticing how thick and mouth-coating it is. The 19 now seems thinner and a little hotter after adding only a splash to each. So, neat I prefer the 19. With a splash of water I prefer the 21. It's actually pretty tough for me to pick a winner now. I think I may be slightly more drawn to the 19, but honestly I'd be thrilled to have either of these in my cabinet. Scores: Batch 19 - 4.5 Batch 21 - 4.25 Thanks CT for the opportunity to try these. Was really a pleasure.

Batch 21 Nose: Dark fruits, rich malt, raisins, citrus, apricot, toffee, mild sweet peat, sherry nuttiness and barrel spices. Palate: Buttery, minerals, sea shore, sherry nuttiness, barrel spices, oranges, raspberries, dark chocolate and honey. Finish: Long with luscious red fruits, sea salt, hints of sweet peat, citrus and pepper. Wow, the Springbank DNA is evident in both batch 19 and 21, but they are different whiskies for sure. I give a slight edge to this batch as it fits my preference for sweeter whiskey. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.

Batch 19 Nose: Fruity, floral, malty, earthy, farm yard, citrus, toffee, raisins and barrel spices. Palate: Creamy, viscous, minerals, sea shore, sherry nuttiness, spices, old wood, orange peel, dried fruit, honey and white pepper. Finish: Long, minerality, sea salt, wood (I have never actually consumed driftwood but this is what I imagine it could be like), peppery with light citrus. Thanks to @ctbeck11 for the sample.