And so we are here, the final day of the Virtual Open days and we have been spoilt with a bunch of great festival bottlings and fantastic daily tastings so far this week, and we have still one tasting to go. The Springbank tasting, including the festival bottling, a Springbank 26 year old.
But I think we can already say that the teams at Springbank, Kilkerran and Cadenheads should be applauded and cheered for what has been a great and successful online approach to what we clearly miss and love about the open days we normally would have attended last May.
However, it’s not just the Campbeltown Malts festival that I missed so much this year. But also festivals such as Spirit of Speyside, Maltstock or Whiskybase Gathering, just to name a few. It’s all about the people you know, it’s the talking among friends and acquaintances who we didn’t see for quite a while. That buzz of excitement, the sounds of laughter, the endless discussions about whisky or the sharing of drams. It’s that real sense of community that I truly miss and I’m probably not the only one who feels that way.
But for now, let’s enjoy the last evening of the Open Days, as we still have a nice tasting to look forward to. So I hope to see some of you tonight, let’s raise a dram and hopefully we can see each other again next year. It’s been way too long!
This Springbank has matured in 2 refill bourbon hogsheads and is bottled at 51.1% ABV.
Springbank 26 year old tasting notes:
Nose: oh this is really nice. Quite fruity actually, with a trace of peat. Pineapple and kiwi. A hint of green grape peels and a bit of lemon on the background. A salty note. Vanilla and chalk, followed by that typical farmyard smell. Water brings out anise and grapefruit.
Taste: pears and lemon ice cream. Honey and caramel. A touch of oak. Somewhat spicy, with a hint of black pepper, ginger and nutmeg. Adding water doesn’t change much, but it does go more towards honey.
Finish: long and a bit dry with honey, a hint of lemons, caramel and a little peat. Somewhat oaky and nutmeg.
Really good, well balanced and probably the most complex of the bunch. But definitely the best! Damn, I wish I had more of this. 🙂
Photo credit: Whiskybase
