Nose - oily peat, toasted oat, dark chocolate, charred orange, marshmallow, lemon, sulphur, apricot, sultana, fig, hazelnut, mango, white pepper, moderate ethanol burn. Taste - oily peat, charred orange, rich malt, lemon pith, chocolate, brine, spicy oak, fig, apricot, powdered sugar, sulphur, green apple, honey, ginger, underripe banana, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with sulphur, sherried fruit, and lemon pith flavors. Over the coming days, I’ll be reviewing three different Springbank 12 Year batches. This is Batch 17 from 2018 which is a vatting of 70% sherry and 30% bourbon casks, bottled at 56.2%. The nose is what I’ve come to expect with these 12 Year releases. Toasty, oily, slightly rotten, but with rich maltiness carrying the citrus, chocolate, and sherried fruit aromas. The palate is punchy with briny, honeyed, citrus and sherried fruit front and center. There’s a rich, peaty oiliness, leading to a decent finish that veers slightly into bitter territory. This is great whisky and a solid Springbank 12 Year release. There is the expected youth that manifests some sourness and bitterness, particularly on the finish, but overall this is an excellent dram and a bottle I’d be happy to own. Many thanks to @ContemplativeFox for providing the generous sample!