ctbeck11
Springbank 18 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
February 21, 2022 (edited May 20, 2023)
Nose - lemon meringue, charred orange, oily peat, pineapple skin, vanilla, butterscotch, green apple, chocolate, honey, pear, apricot, powdered sugar, cinnamon, cashew, mild to moderate ethanol burn.
Taste - orange, tangerine, lemon pith, brine, ginger, oily peat, apple, fig, honey, allspice, caramel, vanilla cream, sweet oak, moderate alcohol bite, finishing medium length with oily peat, honey, orchard fruit, and bitter citrus flavors.
Next up on the Springbank train is this 18 Year bottled in 2018, notably with a 100% bourbon cask maturation. When I first opened the bottle over a year ago, I remember it being hot, bitter, and bland. Let’s see if time and oxygen have made a positive difference.
The nose is sweet and tropical with the classic overripe, charred citrus and oily peat, but it’s a rather light touch here. The palate is similarly sweet but also pithy and bitter. More honeyed orchard fruits are in the mix with a briny, gingery zing as well.
Overall this is great whisky, but I wish it were better at the $250 I paid for the bottle. At 18 years old, I think it tastes younger than it should. My personal preference would be for a sherry component to add more depth and intrigue to the profile. I’d love to try a different 18 Year and compare them side-by-side, but I won’t be shelling out for another bottle anytime soon.
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@angstrom I just got one last night ( yes…admittedly I fell into the first world problem group). It’s anywhere from $100-150. (Mine was $110)
@PBMichiganWolverine. Well. Planned on getting Talisker 18 for my birthday this year. Time to make different plans. I had not seen on shelves here since last Fall. Thought it might have been a seasonal release.
@angstrom yeah, when Malt-review.com broke that news of Diageo raising prices, with the most rise on the Talisker 18, it did bring about a sudden purchasing flood. A retailer I checked had 4 that morning. Had all sold out by evening. First world problems, eh? Ukraine about to get blasted, and here we are running to shelves grabbing Talisker 18s
@PBMichiganWolverine. Sigh. If that is true, I may need to take a few years off from whiskey and go back to beer. Noticeable decline in quality and availability of my favorites, and rapid escalation in prices. Those new Diageo prices would be jumping the moon.
@ctbeck11 @Ctrexman Diageo is raising its prices ( Talisker 18 by 150%+, for example). Hopefully Springbank will stay steady
@Ctrexman I think my preference falls somewhere in between full sherry and full bourbon aging. My favorites have been some combination of the two. Honestly though, they’re all great even if their prices aren’t.
This is $220 ish for me but I bought the 15 instead for the full sherry treatment. I would still love a bottle of this to be disappointed by
@PBMichiganWolverine That’s the Maryland/DC price at least. Wouldn’t be surprised if they’re cheaper elsewhere, as most things are.
@StephenFreyseng Thanks! It’s more common than I’d originally thought as well. A bunch of my bottles have improved in the months they spend sitting idly on the shelf.
I didn’t realize this climbed up so much in price! I thought these were about $150. Wishful thinking I guess
Nice review! I like the distinction you point out with time and oxygen. It’s funny how the bottle we don’t like can surprise when left for time to pass.