There aren’t many bottles I go back to, as I enjoy trying new whiskies a lot more. So normally my curiosity wins over what I already know. However, that is not the case when it comes to the Springbank 12 year old cask strength for instance.
Of course, you can’t compare this bottle with most other standard releases, since you never really know in advance what it will be like. The quality is always very good, but the batches often differ quite a lot in taste and that ensures that the Springbank 12 year old Cask Strength always remains interesting for me.
This edition is quite different from its predecessors anyway because it has matured completely in bourbon casks. And that is something unique in this series, so for me an extra reason to go back to this beautiful whisky. Let’s see what this will bring.
This Springbank has matured in 100% bourbon casks and is bottled at a strength of 55.9% ABV.
Springbank 12 year old tasting notes:
Nose: oh this is very good! A very faint hint of peat, followed by minerals and chalk. But there are fruits too, such as pears and red apples. Then a farmyard note and a hint of diesel oil. Caramel fudge and butterscotch. Lemons in the back and also a touch of peach.
Taste: farmyard notes and minerals here as well. Peat in the background. Then a sweeter note from salted caramel and Acacia honey. There is a hint of vanilla too. Sweet oranges and lemons. Followed by a hint of pink peppercorns.
Finish: Medium to long. And yup farm notes here as well, but also vanilla, toffee and chalk.
A ‘naked’ Springbank with all the characteristic elements that you know from a Springbank clearly present. A wonderfully beautiful dram, which reminds me of a cage bottle I had a few years ago (long gone of course). Really love this kind of profile and for me one of the best 12 year old bottlings I have tasted so far!
