Another batch of Springbank samples has arrived at Modern Drinking HQ and with them the difficult choice of where to start. We’ll go with this oddity from five years ago, a nine-year-old whippersnapper that spent its last five years in a Gaja Barolo cask. I actually have a bottle of this stashed away, but it’s always nice to try from someone else’s before deciding whether to open something unknown. Springbank wine finishes can be hit or miss but they’re always interesting. This one starts off with a nose of raspberries, so the cask is firmly to the foreground. The fruity profile continues in the mouth with flavors of sweet cherries, but it’s also minty and oily. The finish is shortbread, strong black tea, walnuts and more cherries. Interesting and worth a glass or two, but not as good as some of the Longrow Reds.