Dreaming-of-Islay
Springbank 10 Year
Single Malt — Campbeltown, Scotland
Reviewed
October 16, 2017 (edited November 30, 2019)
Sometimes, it seems as if everyone who's serious about the whiskey hobby has to be a Springbank fan. In my view, people tend to love it because of the romantic image of a non-corporate distillery, and the fact that Springbank makes a number of different styles helps them find purchase among a few different niches in the scotch world (I personally prefer their more heavily peated Longrow line). Springbank's signature feature to me is minerality, meaning a slightly bitter, medicinal, metallic, effervescent feature that's kind of like what I imagine most whiskies would taste like if watered down with Badoit or San Pellegrino. Aside from the minerality present, if not dominant, in all three phases, the core flavor here is a well-composed apple-honey body and a curl of smoke at the end. My wife, who was not feeling in a generous mood to these whiskies, described it as "fish scales in apple juice." Well, there you go. There are not many whiskies that taste exactly like Springbank, so I highly recommend trying it to see if its unique flavor profile hits the spot for you.
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I have had the 12 year cask strength and really was not a fan. I have the 10 year but I am hesitant to open it
I have a bottle of the elusive 21 year old Springbank coming in the next week or so. I hope it doesn’t taste “fishy”, lol. Hey Telex, entice ME with some of those Springbank’s. I dare ya. 🙃🙂🙃🙂
I was going to say that Springbank is an acquired taste, but then remembered that I was besotted by it at my first introduction, years ago. It is a genuinely unique flavour profile that doesn’t appeal to everyone. A good friend of mine always turns his nose up when I bring out the Springbank, but then he’s passionate about Macallan. No accounting for taste.
Ah. I hear ya man. Nothing worse than something messing with your nose/taste. Well I would say it might be worth a revisit at some point. I’ll have a couple drams to entice you with. :D.
@Telex - to be fair, I was slightly under the weather when I had this, so not in the best of moods (or with the best of palates)!
Holy moly man. I thought you lost your mind, but it goes to show just how subjective our wonderful hobby really is. I always try and think positive if someone doesn’t like something I adore. More for me is what I say to myself. Heheh.