Springbank 12yo Cask Strength (56.5%): This is the 15th batch of one of my all time favorite expressions... It is released biannually and every batch is vatted slightly different. This one has the same cask ratio as August 2016 batch (Batch 13) which I reviewed before on the blog: 70% sherry casks and 30% ex-bourbon casks. It is bottled on July 24th, 2017 and only 9000 bottles have been made available worldwide.Color: Light copper with oily, slow and persistent legs.
Nose: Dried cranberries, sour cherry juice and mixed berry jam. It's dusty and chalky... Pimm's Cup, prunes and bitter almond cookies. Peat is all the way at the background... Like a bonfire on the beach still fuming the morning after. Adding water opens it up, it's more coastal now: Wet sand, ocean breeze and fuel soaked deck of a boat.
Palate: You can feel the abv and the heat right away but somehow it is disturbing at all... The whisky coats your mouth immediately with crushed red peppers, cheese brine and olives. It is savory, oily and tart. Dried rosemary leaves, soft sheep milk cheese and barbecue smoke. Salty digestive biscuits, unsweetened cream and dry malt. A few drops of water brings the salty notes down in the mix... The texture still holds up nicely and the whisky is still on the savory side but this time with more olive oil and malt vinegar.
Finish: Long and thick... Coal dust, ashes and rock salt.
Overall: This is one of the more savory and salty batches of Springbank cask strength. Although the nose was driven all with red fruits and berry jams the palate and the finish is tart and briny... It carries that signature ashy, chalky and faint peat influence of Springbank from nose to finish. I totally forgot to add water by the way and had to pour another glass after for that... It is incredibly drinkable at full abv. But a couple of drops of water opens it up and makes it more approachable. Another stunning batch from Springbank...
Price: $100
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