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Springbank 21 Year

Springbank 21 Year

This item is archived.

The 2019 Edition of Springbank 21 Year was bottled at 46%, after maturin in 45% Port and 55% Rum casks.

Andrew's Tasting Note

Nose: fudge-y, doughy and leathery with rum and raisin pudding; salted caramel ice cream; Caramilk, milk chocolate and dried dark fruits; jammy, Strawberry Twizzlers and Big Turk candy bars; leaning towards more tropical fruit notes; clean smoke and some tin-y metallic notes.

Palate: thick, coating, oily and rich; earthy and leathery with fruity tobacco and both dark and milk chocolates; the oily peats peak through, with some maritime edges and a more over salted caramel; firm smoke, cloves and fennel; dried dark fruits: dates, figs and Glosset raisins; more Strawberry Twizzlers and Big Turk; so salty and savoury. Finish: long, coating and creamy; more oily peat, salted caramel and jammy fruits; so juicy and thick.

Finish: loads of salted caramel, briny maritime smoke and firm oily peat smoke; still jammy and fruity; long and coating.

Comment: I wish I had some of the 2018 edition at hand to sample beside this; both were at least partly matured in ex-Rum casks; if my memory is correct this edition is nowhere near as subtle or delicate as the 2018, but it makes up for that in richness; fine stuff.

89pts Angus @ Whisky Fun

"Apparently this one was matured in a mix of 45% port and 55% rum. Not sure if that was full term maturations or re-rackings. Colour: amber. Nose: a nice mix of gentle, leafy earthiness, soft tarry notes, embrocations, tobaccos and red fruit jams. Things like raspberry liquorice, jasmine tea and various kinds of glazed, crystallised and dark fruits. Dates, sultanas, quince and plums to be more precise. In time it gets a little more towards mint and eucalyptus. Really harmonious and characterful nose. Mouth: here the different cask types jar a little more I think. Various overripe citrus peels, cornflakes, muesli, caraway and a more pronounced rum note. Golden syrups, brown sugar, dried herbs, cocktail bitters and some slightly farmy/coastal Springbanky goodness underneath. Finish: good length, back to tobacco, tea tree oils, herbal resins, dried dark fruits and red jams. Comments: a tough one to score. There are parts which really work well with this elegance and gentle complexity. On the other hand it can also feel a tad dissonant at times, especially on the palate. Still, perhaps we’re being a tad too picky... "

 

 

Limit 1 Per Person - 92pts Angus @WhiskyFun

Unfortunately the allocations on whiskies like this aren’t getting any better, and frustratingly this is one of the best releases in recent years... Only 3700 bottles have been released globally. That may sound like a lot, but the reality is that is just a drop in the bucket. KWM is set to receive just 18 bottles of the 2018 Edition of Springbank 21 Year. We likely won’t see another release until mid-2019. This year’s edition is a curiosity, 70% of the whisky was sourced from Ex-Rum Barrels... we can’t wait to give it a try. Fortunately we’re expecting a visit from Springbank in October, and I have a feeling a bottle just might get opened! It is limited to 1 per customer.

Distiller’s Tasting Note

Nose: A burst of heather and freshly mowed grass followed by honey, pear skin and wood shavings. Hints of butter; cheesecake, fresh cream and digestive biscuit.

Taste: Elegant and gentle. Butterscotch and vanilla, sugar cane and molasses develop as the influence from the rum casks engulfs the palate with apricots, peaches and paprika.

Finish: A soft smokiness is present in the background. Toffee apples, raisins and oat biscuits emerge. In the foreground; peppercorn, almonds and apricot jam are prominent.”

92pts Angus @ WhiskyFun

"This year’s release of the 21yo was composed of 30% bourbon casks and 70% ex-rum casks. Colour: light gold. Nose: if there’s a rum component then so far it’s rather shy. What comes through first is this pretty typical mixture of waxes, beach pebbles, minerals, sheep wool, hessian, bath salts and light medicines. Pretty pure modern-era Springbank and extremely good. There’s some clay, flinty smoke, chalk, lime zest, carbolic soap and a prickle of mustard powder. Also a wisp of peat and wood smoke as well. That distant beach bonfire character that seems to inveigle its way into all contemporary Springbanks. Mouth: lots of soft but emphatic oils. Light peat, black pepper, olive oil, preserved lemons, mineral oil, hessian, soot, seashore minerals and a tiny allusion of dunder funk which may well be the rum, or possibly my imagination. A beautifully supple, textured, oily and characterful Campbeltown malt. Finish: long, some brittle minerals, spry wood spices, a touch of engine grease, lemon rind, wax and some rather fat phenolics. Comments: This combination of characterful distillate, gentle casks, a supportive nudge of peat and plenty maturation time make for a proper malt whisky. Still plenty lessons to be learned from those Karaoke-coveting distillers in Campbeltown it seems... SGP: 472 - 92 points."

750 ml
Region:Scotland > Campbeltown