It’s not just samples I have a backlog of, but also bottles! And this Springbank 12 year old, batch 24 is one of them. I had already opened it this summer during my holiday in Norway, where this photo was taken. So, it’s time for a review!
Many of you may already know that Springbank is one of my favourite distilleries. The 12-year-old and 10-year-old whiskies are the ones I always anticipate returning to. So, I was delighted to see the Springbank 12 yo was released in 2023, after a year-long absence.
These cask-strength editions offer a diverse taste profile, especially because the ratio of sherry and bourbon casks can vary between batches. For batch 23, they made an exception and used only bourbon barrels, which I thoroughly enjoyed. This edition consists of 60% bourbon and 40% sherry casks and was bottled at a strength of 54.1% ABV. Now, it’s time to write some tasting notes!
Springbank 12 year old tasting notes:
Nose: It’s lightly peated with hints of dried fruit, such as raisins and apricots. Oranges. A hint of toffee. Minerals and later also a lovely note of creme brulee.
Taste: chocolate and toffee at first. Followed by peat smoke. Raisins and dried apricots again, but also oranges. A light herbal note. A hint of diesel oil and some spices, such as cinnamon and crushed black pepper.
Finish: long, slightly drying with some smoke, dried apricots and oranges. Chocolate and the same spices as on the palate.
Ahhh, Springbank 12, what took you so long! I missed you. 😉 This is yet another great edition. The 40% sherry casks seem to be more dominant, but it works really well. And it shows once again why I love going back to these releases!
