Nose: Gentle but confident peat smoke on the immediate nose, but it diminishes as the dram opens, morphing into a fragrant leathery aroma. Malt, treacle toffee, tropical fruit and moist, rich earth. Over time the sherry contribution becomes more obvious with a dark fruit and rancio quality, but this never outpaces the full-bodied maltiness of the distillate and the heavy molasses/treacle notes. Adding water (just a drop or two!) brings out dusky floral and spice incense aromas – damask rose, sandalwood and turmeric. Palate: Good arrival, soft for a fraction of a second then gaining heft, heat and tannic astringency. Chocolate and molasses in the initial development, more tropical fruit and some orange liqueur later, this time spiced with barrel char. Adding water makes the whisky burst with sweetness at first – honey, orange concentrate, mango pulp, and the caramelised sugars of dark rum – but subsequent sips are spicy and vibrant with simmering cinnamon and unsweetened chocolate. The texture is excellent and becomes creamier over time and with a drop of water. Finish: Long. Malty, earthy and herbal, a touch of spicy brine that eventually drifts into a sweet malty fruit taste in the aftertaste. A very good Springbank, most satisfying and with excellent progression, but different to some other 25 year olds I’ve tasted previously. I guess this is due to the rum-cask component of this batch. It’s certainly not a difficult whisky – in fact it’s one of the friendliest I’ve come across, and that sense of “age” is there. There’s nothing at all I can criticise, really, except for the price. Right now I’m tasting this whisky in parallel with Longrow 11 Pinot Noir (which was just over ¼ the price), and Hazelburn 10 (which was about 1/8). Both are wonderful whiskies in their own brackets and it’s hard to justify the expense of the 25. However if money is not a consideration, go for it. This is lovely stuff. “Excellent” : 88/100 (4.5 stars)