IAAS Springbank 21yo...

IAAS Springbank 21yo (57.4%): I actually received samples of these two IAAS (It's all about Springbank) Facebook group Springbank picks a while back together with the samples of Campbeltown "Virtual" Malts Festival'20 releases but I selfishly was saving them for my Thanksgiving Week... So, here we are and the first one I will be pouring is a 21 year old whisky. It is the second cask exclusively bottled for the group. The very first release was a 25 year old ex-bourbon barrel finished in an ex-Chateau Petrus barrique. This one is bottled in 2019 from a refill ex-Sherry hogshead and only 150 bottles in total have been made available for the members of IAAS.

Color: Lemon chiffon, pale straw color with a thick line of spirit around the glass very slowly starting to form oily legs.

Nose: Orange peel, limoncello and chalk powder. Mandarin soda, wet pebbles and woolen scarves. Lightly toasted wood and sea breeze. A few drops of water: Cellar funk, sweet lemon drops and mold. 

Palate: Sweeter than the nose suggested: Blood orange wedges, ash and persimmon. Hard to believe that this whisky is 57.4 abv. now. It's incredibly easy to drink... Red pepper flakes, coconut water and yellow grapefruit. Hint of water adds pineapple rings, mango and oak staves. Cream soda and dried strawberries.

Finish: Long with pebbles, sweetened chamomile tea and dry peat. 

Overall: Text-book well aged Springbank... Citrusy, chalky and mineral with tropical fruits, toasted oak and slight pepperiness. This is the very same profile which made me fall in love with Campbeltown whiskies in the first place. Every single note you can pull from the nose or from the palate is actually very subtle and loose but in the end all of them are coming together like a tightly woven fabric to create one big gorgeous whisky. Thank you Ian Sunderland for the sample... Happy Thanksgiving Week everyone..!

Price: £240

92/100