Springbank Whisky Tasting, The Oak Barrel, Sydney, 17 April 2024, Whisky #5 Tasted from a bottle with batch code 12/12/22 – 22/242 Nose: Fresh, fruity grist. Orange blossoms, peach nectar, brine. As it sits and opens in the glass, aromas of pears and green apples first arise culminating in a fragrance similar to cider vinegar (or even champagne?) melded with mezcal. This is all highly reminiscent of fresh, crisp barley wart. However as it rests further the aromas deepen (and water aids this) eventually developing tropical fruit notes. 91/100 Palate: Brisk, spritzy, ginger, grapefruit and pineapple in the arrival. The palate (like the nose) deepens with time and familiarity showing emerging sweetness in the mid development with tart red berries and a curl of coal smoke. The texture is both crisp and oily, a trick that only Springbank and a couple of other west-coast highland distilleries can pull off. 91/100 Finish: Long. Barley grist fading to sweet and salty lemons sprinkled with coal ash. 91/100 This batch was bottled at the end of 2022 but formed the 2023 release. The local barley in question was Belgravia variety grown at Glencraigs Farm, just outside Campbeltown. It is a light, airy and uplifting whisky that with a dash of water gains characteristics reminiscent of a crisp sparkling wine. These notes later resolve into a sweeter and creamier form more akin to an oaky chardonny. A cracker of a whisky, a true “grand cru”. It was available on the night by ballot but at the asking price I had to pass. “Aspirational” : 91/100 (5 stars)