Springbank 12 year old cask strength – batch 20

And there it is again, the last edition of the Springbank 12 year old cask strength. Or better to say: there it was again. As soon as a new batch of this immensely popular Springbank appears, it sells out at lightning speed. Although this appears to be mainly in the UK, when it comes to the Netherlands it is still not so bad if you want to get such a bottle. Of course, you have to pay a little attention and above all, don’t wait too long, because then it’s really sold out here as well.

It remains a favourite for many, which is not surprising since it is always of good quality and still very affordable. Also for me, this is a whisky that I keep going back to. And that is unique for me since I generally always want to try something new and therefore do not quickly go back to a certain single malt. Perhaps not every batch, but I do buy it regularly.

So, the one I have here is batch 20 and it has matured in
35% Sherry casks and 65% Bourbon casks, and is bottled at 55.3% ABV.

Springbank 12 year old cask strength tasting notes:

Nose: A whiff of smoke. Red apples, apricots. Honey. Caramel fudge. A farmyard note and hay. Chalk and it is somewhat salty. Later it becomes less sweet, but fresher. Hay is still there but also lemons and oranges now. And I even get a faint floral note. A soapy note, but not in a bad way.

Taste: Quite sweet, but less fruity than the nose suggests. Honey and plenty of it. Then apricots. Salted caramel and milk chocolate. Toffee. Minerals and chalk here too. Some smoke, but not much.

Finish: Mid-long and dry. Caramel fudge again and toffee. Salty. A hint of peat. Minerals. And a fair share of that typical Springbank dirtiness.

A nice dram, of which the nose is the winner, a lot is happening there what makes it quite interesting. When it comes to the rest, it’s pretty straight forward. The finish is the least, the fruitiness has disappeared here, it is mainly that typical Springbank dirtiness, which I love, but I miss a bit of that fruitiness here. But all in all another great batch, as it is quite enjoyable!