2017 Memorial Day weekend finds me just taking it easy, sipping slowly to take this in. Springbank 10 and 15 year I have found to be crafted very well and rather enjoyable. I would not expect anything different from this version. Dried straw grass and petrichor (finally used this word [thanks Davie W]) are the first greeting and form the basis of the nose. There is a pleasant sweet side along with that earthy aroma with vanilla, caramel, honey, toasted marshmallow. More time in the glass and lemon wax and faint notes of peat are detectable. A dynamic nose that produces expectations for the palate. Unlike the busy, enjoyable aromas, the body is light, clean and thin; surprisingly so. The viscosity is noticed immediately and as you are thinking about what is going on, Bam!, tongue burn. The high ABV anesthetizes the mouth and only allows a spicy black pepper sensation. Give it time to settle and acclimation, detectable notes of toffee, cinnamon, gingerbread are lightly swimming within the thin body. Wood tannins start to make an appearance, but right as the finish begins. The finish is sparse and short-lived revealing only wood, black pepper and lemon zest. Ahhh! Water restrains the harshness and refines the whisky. However, in doing so, the thin body becomes even thinner. Losing the spice and heat also takes with it some of the character of the whisky. As harsh as it is without water, I prefer this neat or, if I do it again, with a touch of water. I had expectations of a deeper, richer version of the 10 or 15 year. Given the nose and additional aging, it was surprisingly the inverse of that on the palate. The flavors are faint and slightly bland. The high ABV, I believe, contributes to that lack of flavor details. I wanted and expected more. This leads me to be in general agreement that cask strength whiskies are a challenge to master and to find the correct amount of water, if necessary, to maximize the whisky. For the most part, the distillers, I find, do a good job with find the correct ABV to provide the whisky at it’s best. [Dry Glass: Dried straw grass][86/100][Tasted: 5/28/17]