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Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength

So much promise, yet...

0 1077

@MegawattReview by @Megawatt

16th May 2011

0

Springbank 12 Year Old Cask Strength
  • Nose
    24
  • Taste
    22
  • Finish
    12
  • Balance
    19
  • Overall
    77

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Distribution of ratings for this: brand user

I spent a pretty penny on this, my first bottle of Springbank. I was expecting something challenging, and here's what I got:

The aroma is one of the most complex I've yet encountered. It hits you immediately with a musty dankness and creamy sweetness. I think of chocolate pudding, orange-flavoured chocolate, and grape. Very intense and sweet, which is in keeping with its sherry maturation (a combination of first-fill and refill casks). Also there is a salty note, a smoky note, a grassy note...so much going on. Very impressive.

The whisky explodes onto the palate, hitting all the buttons: sweet, salty, hot, sour. The fruit and salty chocolate flavours unfold...and then the sourness takes over. This is where I feel let down. It is a sort of rubbery taste that fills the mouth. Could it be sulphur from the casks? I've read that first-fill sherry is known for this.

This rubbery taste is all that's left by the time you've reached the finish. It's too bad because it gets off to such an explosive start. I don't find it entirely unbalanced, because the funky finish is hinted at in the nose, and might even be desirable for some. But for me, it would have been better if the initial flavours developed more.

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10 comments

@LeFrog
LeFrog commented

Starts well but slightly disappointing then...

13 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

Exactly. Lovely nose and palate entry, but that funkiness is too much for me. Maybe some find it appealing. I fought it by adding a splash of Kilchoman.

13 years ago 0

a
apdz commented

Hey, would this taste better with some water added to it? Maybe worth a try? I was planning on getting this for my next bottle (or the Glenfarclas 15) but the reviews put me off ...

13 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

There were times when I really enjoyed drinking it with an ice cube. But more often than not, the experience was marred by that rubbery taste. However several whisky critics gave this bottle high marks while noting its burnt-match flavours, so maybe it is just me. I would recommend trying it first.

Incidentally, I also recently tried Glenfarclas 15 and it was even worse. Lovely whisky until the flavour starts to fade; then it leaves a nasty bitterness that you can't get rid of. I don't know what the deal is. It was great up until then. Again, others don't seem to notice so maybe it's me.

13 years ago 0

@Pudge72
Pudge72 commented

From what I've read, what you're describing would be a heightened sensitivity to sulphur notes. It seems like some people like it/tolerate the profil, others are fine with certain versions of sulphur but don't like others (i.e. a 'matchsticks' presentation vs. a '(burned/melting) rubber' note), while others recoil at any variation of a sulphur presence. I have yet to experience it as I don't believe anything in my cabinet is known for a sulphur presence. There are some bottles (i.e. Glenfarclas 15, Ledaig 10, and (I think) Longrow CV) that are on my wishlist, which are known for a sulphur presentation.

13 years ago 0

@chickenium
chickenium commented

I have the 58.5% batch and I have not noticed any sulfur in it so far. Maybe they fixed it or I'm just nose-blind to it!

One of my favorites bottles so far.

12 years ago 0

@Nozinan
Nozinan commented

I think my bottle was from this batch. The last one, that is... I never tasted anything off.

I find Springbank challenging, not an easy no thinking dram, but highly rewarding.

10 years ago 0

@Ol_Jas
Ol_Jas commented

It's probably worth noting that this exceptionally low score for SB 12 CS was for batch 1. Decoder ring here: benswhisky.co.uk/2014/07/…

We're now on batch 9 and the oldest batch that I ever see anywhere these days in batch 3.

9 years ago 0

@Megawatt
Megawatt commented

Thanks for the note. You'll notice that my score for the finish brought down the overall mark quite a bit, which is in keeping with my experience of the whisky.

9 years ago 0

A
Astroke commented

I just opened my Batch 10 and found it absolutely delicious. Yes, the Sherry is non-existent but this is a must have for me, despite the short finish. Cheers

8 years ago 0