This Springbank Local Barley 10 year old was released last March and is already the 6th bottle in this series. Initially, only 5 would be released, but Springbank has decided to continue the series due to its ever-growing popularity. And so the Local Barley will be added to the Springbank range as an annual limited edition. I don’t mind that at all. 🙂
This latest release seems to be a bit of an odd one as it has matured entirely in sherry casks, while the other releases so far have matured in 100% bourbon casks or in a combination of 70-80% bourbon and 20%-30% sherry casks. But if we go back in time to the legendary first Local Barley releases, we see that this has been done before. Besides that, it is also a nice link to the new Springbank Sherry Cask series that is coming, which will be released annually from 2022.
Personally, I have a bit of a love-hate relationship with Springbank aged in sherry casks, as they can be a hit or miss at times (with just a little too much sulphur for my taste for instance). But I couldn’t pass up this Springbank Local Barley when I had the chance to buy it. So far, nothing in this series has disappointed me, so let’s see what this one has to offer.
This Springbank has matured in 100% Oloroso sherry casks and was made from Belgravia Barley (locally grown at Glencraigs farm). Bottled at a strength of 55.6% ABV.
Springbank Local Barley 10 year old tasting notes:
Nose: dried fruits, such as raisins, dates and prunes. Cigar leaves and a note of damped earth. Dark chocolate and sweet cherries. A touch of leather. A light barnyard smell and furniture polisher. Then oranges and honey, which is followed by caramel and a touch of mint.
Taste: lovely oily mouthfeel. A hint of peat. Those dried fruits again and the sweet cherries too. Dark chocolate and oranges. Walnuts. Minerals and then some mint. Which is followed by spices, such as black pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon.
Finish: long with the same spices, dark chocolate and mint.
And that’s another excellent Local Barley release! Obviously very different from the previous releases, but certainly a nice one with lovely layers and of good quality. And no sulphur either! Glad I bought this anyway because I’m really enjoying it.
