Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington
Springbank 18 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
October 3, 2021 (edited October 13, 2021)
So @pkingmartin sent me a handful of lovely Scotch samples that were nicely labeled. Being against pre-conceived notions I’m tasting this one before reading the label.
Pale straw with a thin appearance in the glass - nothing much sticks to the sides. Light and fruity with a hint of wet, earthy peat. Pears, clover, ginger, wet stone, freshly cut apple, new leather. The peat isn’t the faintest bit smokey or ashy. Methinks Speyside or Cambletown? Not the smokey Islay and doesn’t burst with malt or heather, no sherry here to speak of.
Soft and light. Peat hits first, then a blink of malt and then almost a Italian Pino Grigio or NZ Sauvignon Blanc-esque mixture of stone with grapefruit, pear, and floral elements that subside into a saltwater taffy and peaty finish that lingers but not intrusively.
This is light and dang near refreshing. There is no burn to speak of and ABV I’m guessing is 43-44%. Age? In Scotch years maybe 12 but could be more. It has just a slight bit of medicinal iodine and sulfur component on the finish like @ContemplativeFox points out about Highland Park. This is honesty more dry than HP though which leaves me wondering, what is this?!?
Drumroll… Springbank 18!!! Love these guys. Was way off on the age. Was also slightly low on the ABV. This honesty could be 40% given how little heat it puts off. Don’t get much, if any, of the sherry barrels - maybe I’m daft or maybe the barrels were spent. Pure malty goodness, and @ContemplativeFox read my mind with the mention of a “peated Irish whiskey.” Soft, fruity, and perhaps more acid and mineral than an good Irish pour though.
Score is tricky - it deviates from my love of viscous, high proof whiskys. Great in the summertime but in early fall it’s a bit lacking. Considering the price difference between this and the 10 year I likely won’t make the jump. I say that having just picked up a 15 year though so more to follow…
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@Soba45 Hopefully I can line up a comparison between mine and a more sherry-forward batch. If anyone reading this has a bottle of one and is open for a trade, let me know.
@ctbeck11 Yeah i had a 2015 bottling and was heavy sherry awesomeness. The mostly bourbon one which i suspect us the same as this. Meh.. nice 4 but the other was in 4.75 territory.
@ContemplativeFox I’d love to try this side-by-side with an 18 Year that has a sherry component. The local shop has a couple of them in stock. I’ll check the batch next time I’m there.
@ContemplativeFox Interesting and I had two friends that were also blown away by this one. Looking forward to reading your thoughts on all those Springbanks.
@cascode Haha I was preparing to look incredibly foolish when I post my tasting of the 15 because it's full of comments about the prominent oloroso flavor. I figured there was a decent chance it would turn out they used a mix of fino and px or something 😛
@Bourbon_Obsessed_Lexington The 10 year old is roughly half-and-half bourbon and sherry cask, usually a little heavier on the bourbon. The 15 used to be 100% ex-oloroso sherry but I'm not sure if that is still the case. It has been very difficult to obtain out here for a while now. The 18 similarly was once 100% sherry cask but they started mixing it up about a decade ago. I don't worry about what casks they use - I'm just grateful when I can grab a bottle 😉
@pkingmartin Glad I just ordered a bottle of Hazelnut 13 today then :) I like how this and SB12 demonstrate the range of SB. The 12 does great with its bold casks and brash youthful character, whereas this has more finesse.
@ctbeck11 I'm usually not that enthusiastic about solely bourbon cask aging, so it's funny that I have sort of the opposite take on this. I'm just finishing a sample generously shared by @pkingmartin and (spoilers) my conclusion is probably going to be that older springbank should be highish proof and only aged in bourbon barrels. I was really blown away by this one because the bourbon barrel added a complex maturity that balanced the farmy springbank without overwhelming it. I'm finding that the sherry's impact on the 15 and 21 produces nice flavors, but obscures the elegant nuance of natural springbank and adds distraction. It definitely would do better with a higher proof than this so the flavors can stand out though. Just my two cents :P
I ended up with the same Springbank 18 batch that @pkingmartin has. I think we had the unfortunate ‘luck’ of purchasing a bottle of the first and only batch (as far as I’m aware) that was 100% ex-bourbon matured. It’s still a top quality product, but I’m guessing most Springbank aficionados would find it to be a bit lackluster compared to other batches. Pure speculation though, as this is the only 18 I’ve had the opportunity to try.
@cascode I was totally unaware - do they list from year to year what they use? Also is that just true of the 18 or does that apply to the 10 and 15 as well?
The casking is all over the place, and differs with every batch, from 100% sherry to 100% bourbon and everything in between, including a percentage in rum, port and marsala casks. You're always on your toes with Springbank but I'd agree with @PBMichiganWolverine that ex-sherry casks work particularly well with Springbank, especially as it gets older.
I think their sherry or sherry/bourbon combo are best—-that gritty quality really comes out , but with some sweetnes
Great review! I think this was all bourbon barrel aged. It’s so soft and easy to drink, but doesn’t wow me like the 12 or Hazelburn 13 does.