Springbank 21 Year 2019 Edition

Dark fruits and subdued funk on the nose. Spices and warmth on the palate. A mild finish, releasing some mildly funky spices. Can’t complain here.

First of all, if you have the opportunity, read the history of this distillery, and the whisky production process: at least fascinating! Moving on to the tasting notes, a very complex whisky, which varies considerably in each production year as the types of barrels used are always different. Here in the 2019 release ex sherry and ex porto were used. I state that the whole tasting spectrum of smells and flavors has a very pleasant salty and lightly peated background, as well as sherry whose barrels you feel the influence. On the nose I feel Catalan cream, melon, wild strawberries, but also ... chinotto! On the palate always Catalan cream, custard, toffee and fresh olives (have you ever detached an olive from the tree and tasted it? Well, that's the taste!). The finish is of medium length, spicy, floods the throat with alcoholic pleasure. Very dense and full-bodied. Nothing to say, an excellent whisky. _____________________________________________________________________ Per prima cosa, se avete occasione leggete la storia di questa distilleria, ed il processo di produzione del whisky: quantomeno affascinante! Passando alle note di degustazione, un whisky molto complesso, che varia ancher di parecchio in ogni annata produttiva in quanto i tipi di botti usate sono sempre diversi. Qui nella release 2019 sono state usate ex sherry e ex porto. Premetto che tutto lo spettro degustativo di odori e di sapori ha un sottofondo salato e di leggera torbatura molto piacevole, nonchè di sherry delle cui botti si sente l'influenza. Al naso sento crema catalana, melone, fragoline di bosco, ma anche... chinotto! Al palato sempre crema catalana, crema pasticcera, toffee ed olive fresche (avete mai staccato un'oliva dall'albero e l'avete assaggiata? Beh, il sapore è quello!). Il finale è di media lunghezza, piccante, inonda la gola di piacere alcolico. Molto denso e corposo. Nulla da dire, un whisky eccellente.

An unusual mix that works wonders with notes of chocolate, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, cherries, peaches, vanilla, toffee, spices, smoke, mangoes, passion fruit, and guava.

1. I just want to thank whoever decided to vintage date the bottles for review as the 21 is night and day different each batch. 2. This is special guys! Nose - Sweet and savory elements but the dominate note is from the port influence. I get a bit of a grape bubble gum with a red wine element. behind that is light oak, some vanilla, some jam, and just a general springbank slightly salty malty experience. Taste - My first though it just how long and complex this one is. There's at least 3-4 transitions, it goes from sweet to bitter to savory. It starts a bit waxy sweet, muted flavors, but sweet. Then some oak tannins come in and it takes on this slightly bitter note still with this sweet and muted malt profile. Then things get crazy as it turns to these salty springbank elements and the flavor just goes all over the place and creates a wonderful long and complex finish. The fruity grape bubble game notes are there though I'm starting to think more juicy fruit with a drop of a wine element, the malt is very oak touched but not overly so giving it a very nice balanced feel. The 2019 springbank is somewhat hit or miss for me so far. My first few pours were outstanding but I'm not sure if it is me but right now this isn't blowing my socks off. It's incredibly complex, the 46% is just enough to give this a nice mouth feel while allowing you to swirl this in your mouth and really take it in without any alcohol fatigue. Overall this is really nice stuff. A must buy if you can afford and are an advanced whisky drinker (you need to like the whole spectrum from peat to wine finishing to oak and everything in between to get this one). 4.25 stars